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US, EU lawmakers look for worldwide methane standard for oil and gas

A group of European Union and U.S. Democrat legislators has actually asked the International Energy Company to establish international standards for determining the oil and gas sector's emissions of methane, to help countries adopt tougher measures targeting the powerful greenhouse gas, a letter showed on Tuesday.

The EU will impose methane emissions limitations on Europe's oil and gas imports from 2030, however has yet to validate how the exact limitation will be determined. Currently, there is no global contract on how firms must count and validate claims about the emissions associated with their gas.

In a letter to IEA executive director Fatih Birol, seen by , 7 EU lawmakers - consisting of agents from the 2 biggest legislator groups in the European Parliament - and 10 U.S. Democrats asked the energy guard dog to assist develop global requirements for measuring methane emissions from the oil and gas sector.

We would kindly suggest issuing a report with your recommendations for these international requirements and processes, if possible by June 30, 2025, said the letter, dated July 1.

The aim, the letter stated, would be to help nations develop policies to clamp down on methane emissions. It asked the IEA to help countries adopt policies that apply methane standards to nonrenewable fuel source imports, and analyse the possible effect of this on oil and gas rates.

Methane is the primary element of the gas burned in power plants and to heat homes. It is likewise the second-biggest reason for climate modification after carbon dioxide, and adds to international warming when it gets away into the environment from dripping oil and gas pipelines and facilities.

The U.S. in 2015 set out its own rules needing domestic oil firms to restrict their methane emissions.

The letter's signatories included agents from the EU Parliament's 2 greatest lawmaker groups - the European Individuals's Party and the Socialists and Democrats - along with the Parliament's arbitrators on the EU methane law, Green lawmaker Jutta Paulus and liberal Pascal Canfin.

The 10 signatories from the U.S. home of representatives were all Democrats.

(source: Reuters)