Press Release
Gas industry Manifesto lays down contribution to EU climate efforts
Brussels, 18 October 2018 –
‘Affordability of energy sources and constant innovation are key to help the EU achieve
its climate objectives’, says European gas industry partnership GasNaturally in its Manifesto published ahead of
COP24. This approach wil al ow citizens to take active ownership of the energy transition and inspire other
countries to follow the EU’s leadership.
‘By making sure these components are at the centre of its climate strategy, the EU wil secure citizens’ support for
deep emission cuts. The gas industry brings solutions which can be applied already today and works hard to scale
up new technologies that wil help ensure Europe’s prosperity in the long term, in a net-zero emission economy,’
says GasNatural y’s President Marco Alverà.
The Manifesto, launched at the Friends of Europe’s Climate & Energy Summit held in Brussels on 18 October, lays
down the gas industry’s contribution to the EU’s climate efforts, namely:
1. Enabling fast and cost-efficient CO2 emissions reductions and improving air quality across all sectors of
the economy, in particular by replacing coal with gas wherever possible.
2. Optimising infrastructure costs by using the existing gas resources and network as backbone for a reliable,
hybrid energy system with an increasing share of renewable energy.
3. Raising the number of options available to consumers by developing innovative renewable and low-
carbon gas projects.
4. Continuously improving its own efficiency and footprint, including the mitigation of methane emissions.
‘The largest share of our emissions comes from sectors difficult to electrify or decarbonise: heating, industrial
processes, agriculture, transport, which together account for more than half of Europe’s consumption. Making
smart use of natural gas with CCS, sustainable hydrogen, or biomethane can make a real difference in these sectors.
We are ready to work with policymakers on this,’ added Marco Alverà.
The gas industry is investing heavily in technologies with long-term CO2 reduction potential. These wil be crucial
in ambitious climate scenarios, as recently demonstrated in a report by the IPCC. In paral el, the gas sector is doing
its part to reduce its share of overall EU methane emissions through a number of cross-industry initiatives.
‘If we real y want to go the extra mile, we need political support to expand R&D&I programmes to include
innovative gas technologies, and a cross-sectoral, holistic approach to methane emissions. Anything less runs the
risk of fal ing short of our climate objectives.’ concluded Marco Alverà.
The Manifesto is available here
.
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About GasNaturally: GasNaturally is a partnership of six associations from across the whole gas value chain. Our members are
involved in gas exploration and production, transmission, distribution, utilisation, wholesale and retail operations, as well as gas in
transport. The members of GasNaturally are: International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP), Eurogas, Gas
Infrastructure Europe (GIE), European Gas Research Group (GERG), the Technical Association of the European Natural Gas
Industry (MARCOGAZ) and Natural & Biogas Vehicle Association (NGVA).