EU agrees to methane emission limits on oil and gas imports

Methane is the second-biggest cause of climate change after carbon dioxide. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Kate Abnett

European Union countries approved a law yesterday to impose methane emissions limits on Europe’s oil and gas imports from 2030, pressuring international suppliers to cut leaks of the potent greenhouse gas.

Methane is the main component of the natural gas countries burn in power plants and to heat homes. It is also the second-biggest cause of climate change after carbon dioxide, and fuels global warming when it escapes into the atmosphere from leaky oil and gas pipelines and infrastructure.