Romanian NGOs urge decision makers to sign the Global Methane Pledge

Eight Romanian NGOs are urging the Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, and Minister of Environment, Tánczos Barna, to sign the Global Methane Pledge at COP27. The non-governmental organisations sent yesterday an open letter to their decision makers.

The Global Methane Pledge is an initiative by which countries around the world commit to help reduce global methane emissions. To date, 122 countries, with the Czech Republic being the newest member, have joined this ambitious goal of reducing emissions by ‘at least 30 percent from 2020 levels by 2030 and moving towards using the highest tier IPCC good practice inventory methodologies’.

Romania has one of the oldest energy infrastructures in Europe, and fugitive methane emissions  have been documented at most oil and gas infrastructure investigated in Romania. On the other hand, the oil and gas companies operating in Romania have not implemented adequate Leak Detection And Repair (LDAR) monitoring or prevention programmes. These aspects urgently require the adoption of relevant measures to manage and reduce methane emissions, as well as coordination with regional and global efforts to reduce the impact of greenhouse gases on the climate.

According to the latest estimates and analyses of the International Energy Agency, actual methane emissions from the energy sector are approximately 70 per cent higher than the sum of the estimates presented by national governments. Based on recent high natural gas prices, almost all options to reduce emissions from oil and gas operations worldwide could be implemented at no net cost.

Moreover, Romania is the second producer of fossil gases in the European Union and Romania should play a proactive role in Europe in the management of methane emissions, especially in the perspective of increasing the gas exploitation capacity in the Black Sea or an increasing the number of closed wells with unmonitored losses.

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas with a global warming potential of 84-86 times greater than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period, and 60% of emissions are due to human actions.

Signatories organisations are: 2Celsius, Bankwatch România, Greenpeace România, WWF România, A.R.T. Fusion, Camera Șepte, Someș Delivery, Clujul Sustenabil & Food Waste Combat.

energyglobal methane emissionsGlobal Methane Pledge at COP27global warminggreenhouse gasngosopen letterRomania
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  • Mr Rearguard

    If you beLIEve in climate change then you should stop being a hypocrite and do the following. Never own a car or ride in a car again. Never take a foreign holiday that involves travel by plane and walk everywhere by foot. Oh and finally. STOP making BBQ’s because the mici pollutes the air.