How import rules can cut global methane emissions

Methane is one of the quickest levers available to slow warming in the near term, yet current policies are nowhere near enough to deliver the cuts needed by 2030. As governments look for ways to narrow that gap, methane import standards are emerging as a powerful new tool. This briefing explores how the European Union’s new rules for imported oil, gas, and coal could drive emissions cuts far beyond its borders – and how, if other major importers follow, they could help close more than 40% of the gap to a 1.5°C-consistent methane pathway.

At current trade levels, an EU standard of 0.2% methane intensity could reduce emissions by more than 3 Mt CH₄ annually from its imports alone. Wider adoption by six other major importers could cut global methane emissions by over 10 Mt CH₄, driven in particular by Russia and the United States, which have the largest excess methane emissions relative to a 0.2% intensity standard.

Phasing out fossil fuels is one of the most effective ways to reduce both carbon dioxide and methane emissions from the fossil fuels sector, while also protecting economies from the volatility of global fossil fuel prices, economic damage from very high fuel prices and critical supply security issues threatening industry, agriculture and livelihoods.

Methane import standards offer a practical and powerful tool for doing precisely that. By tying market access to emissions performance, they can deliver measurable near‑term reductions and raise the bar for global methane management.