Responding to the European Commission's Communication on the 2040 Climate Target, the European Biogas Association (EBA) says that it welcomes the proposed 90 percent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040. However, EBA notes that the role biogases can play is undervalued in the proposal.
The European Commission published on February 6, 2024, a detailed impact assessment on possible pathways to reach the agreed goal of making the European Union (EU) climate-neutral by 2050 recommending a 90 percent net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction by 2040 compared to 1990 levels.
The European Biogas Association (EBA) says that it welcomes the Commission’s 2040 Climate Target Communication as it represents “a clear and necessary response to the ongoing climate crisis.”
EBA emphasizes the readiness of the biogas and biomethane sectors to contribute significantly to achieving this target.
Biogases are a crucial cornerstone of a carbon-neutral and competitive European economy and, as recognized in the Communication, the sector is a “win-win solution” that must be prioritized to maintain and strengthen the EU’s competitiveness and climate mitigation agenda, the EBA points out.
More than a sustainable energy carrier
While welcomed, EBA also regrets that in the Commission’s proposal, biogas and biomethane would seem to play a secondary role towards the 2040 target compared to other energy vectors, and their important contribution to the energy system integration and flexibility is overlooked.
EBA highlights that biogases are so much more than a mere sustainable energy carrier: produced and consumed in the EU, these green gases provide ready-available solutions to defossilize the EU economy, including hard-to-abate sectors such as industry and transport, while contributing to the EU’s energy flexibility, resilience, and independence.
Biogases can help Europe make optimal use of all its resources valorizing waste, supporting the development of a circular bioeconomy, and promoting the agroecological transition.
The projected potential for the sustainable production of biomethane from anaerobic digestion (AD) and gasification in Europe by 2050 is 151 bcm.
Considering the declining gas consumption, biomethane can provide for the majority of the demand determining the decarbonisation of the grid while still contributing to transport decarbonisation towards 2050.
It is now the time for the EU to implement pragmatic solutions that are greatly contributing to GHG emissions reductions. Targets are at reach for our communities and citizens if we speed up action and cut red tape. The 2040 target can be the starting point to build an actionable plan towards 2040, featuring a key role for biogases as a cost-competitive and readily available solution, ended Harmen Dekker, CEO of EBA.
