Natural Gas in Transition – Conference summary

On May 12, 2025, Eurogas hosted a Methane Focus Conference, sponsored by Attributes, gathering EU policy members, and international members of the natural gas industry for an afternoon of lively conversations on methane emissions and how to turn regulatory ambition and challenges into practical implementation.

Summary

• EU policy makers stress the timely need for EUMR as methane emissions are growing and are confident that its adoption is feasible thanks to the different solutions already available and through value chain collaboration.
• The EU does not intend to clarify regulation for now, and push a ‘learning by doing’ approach. Waiting for a proposal from the industry.
• For Eurogas, the industry is supportive to the methane regulation but it must be clarified not to limit this support (penalties up to 20% of turn over being a clear example). The industry also asks for more flexibility when it comes to tracking and reporting methane emissions.
• The 2025 IEA Methane Tracker reported an increase in global methane emissions, underscoring the urgent need for more robust action both within the EU and worldwide. Notably, upstream activities accounted for 77% of oil and gas emissions in 2024.
• Beyond mere certification,  technical solutions and frameworks, such as Attributes traceability MERIT solution, are already available for collecting, structuring, and securely tracing methane emissions data across the value chain to ensure compliance with the EUMR.
• Third-party independent verification, which has already been implemented in some parts of the U.S., is considered crucial for establishing trust and ensuring compliance. Supplier-specific data, as opposed to generic averages, is essential to incentivize abatement efforts.
• Data collection must be supported by secure transfer solutions, such as distributed ledger technology, to enhance trust and mitigate the risk of double counting.