EU Announces 15 Percent Decrease In Methane Gas Consumption In Response To Russia

EUROPE -- Today, the European Union announced it will decrease its bloc-wide methane gas, sometimes referred to as “natural gas,” consumption by 15 percent between now and Spring 2023 in response to Russia’s decision to decrease gas supply to Germany. Russian gas currently accounts for 40 percent of the EU’s supply. The agreement includes some narrow exceptions, including for small island nations and the Baltic States, which currently have limited energy alternatives, as well as countries that have lower consumption rates of gas. 

In May, the European Union adopted its RePowerEU plan to begin eliminating Russian fossil fuel imports by increasing energy efficiency and demand savings, reducing bottlenecks for clean energy projects, and expanding solar energy, with the goal of cutting the EU’s fossil gas imports from Russia by two-thirds this year and the remaining one-third by 2027. At the same time, the EU also released its International Energy Strategy, which will partially focus on increasing imports of false solutions like blue hydrogen and fossil gas through deals with the US, Egypt, Israel, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Qatar, Japan, Korea, and other countries.

In response, the Sierra Club’s International Climate and Policy Campaign Director Cherelle Blazer issued the following statement: 

“Today’s announcement follows on the European Union’s plan to phase out all Russian fossil fuel imports and is a critical next step in that process. Energy independence and energy security go hand-in-hand with decreasing consumption of all dirty fuels, including methane gas, coal, and oil,  while increasing access to clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency. Europe is also experiencing an unprecedented and deadly heat wave and is just a few months away from the harsh winter months. Substantially reducing its use of methane gas and permanently replacing the supply with clean energy and energy efficiency will not only help to provide much-needed energy security and stability for the bloc but will help the region better adapt to climate instability as well.”

In response, the Sierra Club’s Senior Director of Energy Campaigns Kelly Sheehan issued the following statement: 

“Reducing dependence on methane gas and other fossil fuels is the right decision for any nation aiming to avoid energy price spikes and volatility. Expanding infrastructure to increase LNG exports from the U.S. to Europe would take years and do nothing to ease the energy challenges they face today. In fact, it would only increase pollution in the historically marginalized communities of color living where new terminals are proposed and on the frontlines of the climate crisis. A clean energy transition is the right direction for Europe, in their effort to reduce their dependence on Russia and thwart the worst health and climate impacts caused by fossil fuel energy dependence.”