The hottest year on record. Rising seas. Old diseases spreading to new parts of the world. Every continent is feeling the impact of climate change, intensifying calls for urgent action.
For our response to be effective, however, we must have short- and long-term greenhouse gas reduction strategies.
Methane (CH4) is the dominant constituent (~90%) of natural gas - a resource that the EU will continue to depend more on as a major source of energy as we continue to move towards a low carbon future. The production, transportation and consumption of oil and natural gas brings with it a risk of methane escaping into the atmosphere.
Methane is a greenhouse gas 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO2) over a 20 year time period, and the emissions from the EU’s oil and gas industry have a short-term climate impact equivalent to the annual CO2 emissions from 30 coal-fired power plants.
The infographic illustrates the EU’s continuing reliance on the oil and gas industry and the associated methane emissions that are generated from both upstream and downstream activities.