Moreover, oil companies must better monitor their wellheads to prevent unwanted gas leaks. With these measures, the US aims to reduce emissions by an estimated 58 million tons of methane.
According to Commission President Von der Leyen, more than 260 billion cubic meters of natural gas are wasted worldwide annually through flaring and methane leaks. That is five times the amount of gas EU countries imported from the US last year.
Two years ago, the US and the EU launched an international initiative to jointly tackle the methane problem. More than 150 countries have since joined, including the Netherlands. According to the European Commission, this global initiative will help keep the Paris goal (limiting warming to 1.5 degrees) “within reach.”
In European agriculture and livestock farming, various trials are currently underway to reduce methane emissions, especially in large-scale livestock and dairy farming. This primarily involves changes to the composition of animal feed. A final decision to subject large livestock farms to stricter industrial emission bans in the EU has recently been postponed to 2026.
Members of the Belgian Feed Association (BFA) announced last week that they will jointly reduce methane emissions from cattle. Starting next year, each feed manufacturer will apply one measure from the Flemish Enteric Emissions Covenant to ten percent of their cattle feed for Flemish customers.
BFA aims to reduce methane emissions from cattle by 26 percent in 2030 compared to 2016. To achieve this, it collaborates with the government, researchers, and ten chain partners from the Flemish agriculture, dairy, and meat industries.