EU deal on methane must not give coal mining industry a free pass

The EU must not succumb to Poland’s demands to dilute ambition on tackling methane emissions from coal mines, writes Dr Sabina Assan. She argues that Stricter rules will help address climate change and ensure the future competitiveness of Poland’s coking coal industry.

Dr Sabina Assan is methane analyst at Ember and lead author of a recent publication on the gaps around coal mines in the EU’s methane regulation. 

As COP28 approaches, the European Union, preparing for the final trialogue negotiations of its proposed Methane Regulation, must set a global example and address its largest single source of fossil fuel methane, coal mines. Otherwise, the Union will jeopardise its ambitions of a 58% reduction in fossil fuel methane emissions.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas responsible for about 30% of the rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Methane gas is released before, during and even after coal is mined, as it is naturally embedded in coal and the surrounding strata. These gases pose security risks for miners and present climate concerns, with coal mine methane (CMM) emissions equaling annual CO2 emissions of 43 million cars. Even these figures may be underestimated, as the IEA calculated that EU coal mine methane emissions are 24% higher than officially reported.

Trilogue discussions involving the European Commission, the European Council, and the European Parliament are expected to focus on an import standard. Nevertheless, domestic coal mine methane emissions risk being overlooked, failing to give this topic the scrutiny it deserves.

In 2021, at COP26, the EU was a key player in the Global Methane Pledge, endorsed by more than 150 countries with a common goal to reduce methane emissions by at least 30%  from 2020 levels by 2030.

However, the EU’s current methane regulation text agreed upon by both the European Parliament and the European Council has already weakened the potential reductions from coal mines, with the Regulation now only enabling a maximum of 47% reductions from their largest fossil fuel methane source. Coal operators will be only required to implement the easiest solutions to achieve the proposed methane thresholds, such as improving drainage efficiency and reducing losses.

The original proposal by the EU Commission sought to cut active thermal coal mines’ cumulative methane emissions by 70% by 2040. However, in December 2022, the EU Council adopted its general approach, which, after lobbying from Poland, the biggest CMM emitter in the EU, watered down the Commission proposal on coal mine methane mitigation.

After further lobbying, in April 2023, the EU Parliament adopted the same weakened position, reducing the original target to a 34% reduction by 2040.

Poland, which continues to mine some of the world’s gassiest coal, has threatened to render the forthcoming EU methane regulation inadequate in addressing this critical issue. However, Poland is losing out on a huge opportunity.

Given methane’s shorter lifespan compared to carbon dioxide, reducing methane emissions from fossil fuels is one of the fastest-acting and most effective options to address climate change. With many available mitigation technologies, addressing these emissions becomes even more feasible. These technologies have the potential to slash methane emissions in the EU by half, offering not just environmental benefits but also economic advantages.

Capturing and using this methane is one of the means to increase energy security and decrease energy costs, and Poland could become a leader in the EU’s methane reductions. The country alone could reduce European methane emissions from the fossil fuel industry by 15%, costing less than one euro per kilogram of methane.

By leveraging readily available technologies, the International Energy Agency estimates that Poland alone could abate up to 414 thousand tonnes of methane per year from its 2022 emissions of 716 thousand tonnes. The IEA evaluates that Poland’s coal mines can abate 21% of emissions with a total annual profit of €31 million.

In addition, improving the monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) processes for methane, along with the implementation and sustained use of a diverse range of mitigation technologies, will increase the safety of Polish miners and create high-quality jobs in ​​the development of critical new technologies in coal mining regions during and after mining ends.

Tackling coal mine methane emissions would also ensure the future competitiveness of Poland’s coking coal as global steelmaking looks to reduce its climate impact.

The importance of addressing methane emissions from coal mines cannot be overstated. Succumbing to industry demands could undermine the EU’s commitment to methane reduction and convey an alarming message to the world. Tackling CMM emissions represents a crucial opportunity for Poland to safeguard its coal miners and for the European Union to meet its climate targets.