The International Gas Union Calls on the European Commission to Urgently Rethink its Methane Emissions Reduction Regulation

The International Gas Union (IGU) welcomes the European Commission's (EC) proposals to address energy security of supply risks through a targeted and time-limited recommendation to ease certain penalty provisions included the Methane Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2024/1787).

However, these measures are insufficient to provide the legal certainty required for contracting new natural gas supplies into Europe and will not remedy the issue of non-compliance. The EU Methane Regulation will come into force on 1st January 2027 and is likely to force EU's natural gas and oil importers into a situation of non-compliance, with a potential detrimental impact on EU's security of affordable energy supply.[1]

IGU therefore urges the EC, as a matter of urgency, to adopt policies that are fully aligned with industry realities and do not create further uncertainty and energy insecurity by deterring investments in Gas supply and infrastructure, as investment equals resilience.

It is indisputable that the remarkable investment made by the global Gas industry into new LNG supply capacity and infrastructure has made a huge contribution to managing the extraordinary energy market shocks since 2022 - particularly evident in Europe[2]. IGU is proud that many of its members are investing strongly in the new natural gas infrastructure necessary to ensure energy security and access to energy across various global regions.

Continued investments in energy infrastructure - including natural gas storage, pipelines and LNG - and a diverse energy supply are critically needed to mitigate market shocks such as the one we are currently experiencing. To close the gap with new, emerging energy demand, targeted and sustained investment in Gas is essential, not as a substitute for renewables, but as a strategic complement to them.

Government policies - however well-intentioned - must not create further uncertainty and energy insecurity by deterring investments in Gas supply and infrastructure. Closer co-operation between government and industry is necessary to ensure that regulatory actions are aligned with industry realities and do not hinder countries' ongoing efforts to achieve energy security through diversification.

Europe, in particular, already faces some of the highest natural gas prices in the world. Europe's existing issue of affordability should not be made worse by ill-conceived legislation which disrupts markets and deters vital investment.

Source: 2026 IGU Wholesale Gas Price Survey

Strong action to reduce methane emissions is critical to maximising Gas' commercial, social and environmental value. We applaud the many IGU members who are already committed to reducing their methane emissions by at least 30% and to operating with near-zero leaks by 2030.

We also welcome the fact that over 50% of the oil & Gas industry is now committed to near-zero emissions, from less than 20% five years ago. This increased commitment has delivered measurable results, with the global average methane intensity in the upstream oil and natural gas industry declining by 10% since 2019[3].

As IGU's members are widely representative of the global Gas industry, we are ideally placed to help our members move up the methane performance spectrum. Peer-to-peer sharing and the regionally based dialogues that IGU facilitates are powerful mechanisms for knowledge-sharing leading industry practices and building the capacity and ambition necessary to drive methane emissions out of the full natural gas value chain.

IGU's Director of Policy and Analysis Mark McCrory said: "As global energy demand continues to rise, IGU knows that energy security is not possible without continued investment in the availability, affordability and flexibility that is provided by Gas and its innovative technologies and infrastructure. I am also confident that, together, our global Gas industry will continue to do more and do better to tackle methane emissions, further anchoring Gas's key role in driving human progress and global growth."

[1] EU Methane Regulation: Joint Statement ahead of next European Council and TTE Council of June 2026 - Eurogas

[2] IGU Publishes the 20th Anniversary Edition of the Wholesale Gas Price Survey | International Gas Union

[3] Global Methane Tracker 2026 - Analysis - IEA