These updates capture the most important items of evidence collected by the LobbyMap platform, allowing users to track how companies are industry associations are seeking to influence climate policy in real-time.
In a 9 July joint paper, seven industry associations representing the energy sector have pushed to weaken the timelines for measures on fossil fuel importers under the EU methane regulation for the energy sector. Signed by Eurogas, FuelsEurope, International Gas Union (IGU), and the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP), the action plan advocated for importers’ obligations (e.g., equivalence with EU measuring, verification, and reporting (MRV) standards and methane intensity reporting) to be delayed until implementing guidance is in place, including a grace period for applying penalties and grandfathering of contracts signed in the interim. The paper emphasized concerns around the regulation's impacts on the bloc's energy security and urged the Commission to simplify the regulation, referencing June 16 Energy Council Presidency Conclusions.
In a 13 June position statement, the European branch of the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) called for the inclusion of the EU methane regulation for the energy sector in an Energy Omnibus. The statement included specific recommendations to 'simplify' technical aspects of the rule and delay implementation timelines, such as removing certain leak detection and repair (LDAR) obligations, deferring monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) requirements for domestic producers and importers, postponing the introduction of penalties, and weakening regulatory equivalency criteria. Following the 16 June EU Energy Council meeting which discussed the regulation, IOGP Europe put out an 18 June press release which reiterated these points, with managing director François-Régis Mouton emphasizing how the rule jeopardizes EU energy security.
BP, ConocoPhillips, Engie, Eni, Equinor, Eurogas, Naturgy, Repsol, and Uniper signed a 28 April joint letter addressed to EU Commissioners, Commission Vice Presidents, and Presidencies of the Council, emphasizing concerns with measures of the Methane Regulation for the energy sector. The letter suggested that the regulation jeopardizes EU energy security in light of the bloc’s goal to eliminate Russian gas imports. It also recommended delaying measuring, reporting, and verification (MRV) requirements, and establishing equivalence between nations and methane intensity reporting, including a grace period for the application of penalties until implementing regulations are in place.
In a May 2024 meeting with a cabinet member of EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, accessed via freedom of information request, Cheniere Energy shared documents outlining its objection to the EU Methane Regulation's measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) requirements for fossil gas imports to the EU. The company characterized the obligations as "unworkable" due to the "unique nature" of the US fossil gas supply chain, and appeared to advocate to establish regulatory equivalence between the US and the EU, which would waive the MRV requirements for imports from the US.
A group of investors, including Legal & General Investment Management and AP7, signed an open letter on 16 October, urging states and Tribes to swiftly develop plans to implement the federal Environmental Protection Agency's finalized methane standard. The letter states that "decisive, bold, and rapid action" would "minimize financial risks, and help the American oil and gas industry become cleaner and remain competitive."
In a 28 June news release, European Livestock Voice appeared unsupportive of Denmark’s recently introduced carbon tax on agriculture. The association emphasized that methane emissions from sources such as oil and natural gas systems are higher than the livestock sector, and quoted the Danish farmers’ association Bæredygtigt Landbrug who said the measures amounted to a “frightening experiment”.
In an 18 June news release, International Association of Oil and Gas Producers appeared to push for weaker requirements in the EU Methane Regulation. The association advocated for more lenient timelines for leak detection and repair (LDAR) obligation and did not support venting and flaring requirements.
In a 28th May press release, the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) appeared to advocate for further clarity and greater flexibility in the EU Methane Regulation, following the formal adoption of the policy from EU member states. The association demanded greater flexibility, citing energy security consequences without such.
In an 11th April X post, the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) appeared to advocate against several elements of the EU Methane Regulation after the EU Parliament passed the policy into implementation. The association notably highlighted energy security concerns from the inclusion of imported fossil fuels in the scope of the policy.
In its 2023 Annual Report published on the 10th of April the European Dairy Association supported the exclusion of cattle from the scope of the EU Industrial Emissions Directive, a position that weakens the original ambition of the EU Commission.
During the CERAWeek conference, ConocoPhillips CEO, Ryan Lance, opposed the US government’s pause on liquified natural gas (LNG) project permits as reported by Bloomberg on March 18th. Lance stated that a longer pause could lead to higher gas prices. As per a Politico article, Lance also appeared unsupportive of US Environmental Protection Agency’s methane regulations for the oil and gas sector, calling them “unworkable.”
The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) opposed Canada’s methane regulation for the upstream oil and gas sector in a letter sent to the Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, on February 13th. CAPP claimed that the regulations are incompatible with the oil and gas operations and advocated that the 75% methane reduction target should focus only on regulated sources, instead of total upstream oil sands mining emissions and non-regulated sources.
In a press release from December 6th, 2023, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) opposed Canada’s draft Oil and Gas Methane Regulations, adding that oil and gas companies and regional jurisdictions are “best positioned” in tackling methane emissions.
On December 2nd at COP28, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the finalization of a new rule to reduce methane emissions by 80% by deploying a range of measures targeted at the oil and gas industry. BP provided comment in the EPA’s press release and stated that it supports the rule for new, modified, and existing sources.
In a November 13th Euractiv article, the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) appeared to push to weaken key elements of the EU Methane Regulation ahead of key trilogue negotiations. The association labelled the proposed thresholds for leak detection and repair as “disproportionate and nonsensical,”.
In a September 5th letter to European policymakers, European oil & gas sector industry associations including GasNaturally, Eurogas and the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) pushed to weaken key elements of the EU Methane Regulation. Ahead of upcoming key policy trilogue negotiations, the letter called for less frequent leak detection and repair measures, reducing the policy scope by excluding plugged and abandoned wells, and advocating against the inclusion of imported fossil fuels.
Several oil and gas industry associations, including the American Petroleum Institute (API), Eurogas, and the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) sent a joint letter to European policymakers calling for the exclusion of imported fossil fuels in the EU Methane Regulation in an attempt to weaken the climate ambition of the policy ahead of key upcoming trilogue negotiations. The letter called for existing contracts to gain exemptions and raised the risk energy security concerns from including imports in the policy scope.
In a July 19th RiEnergia article, industry association Eurogas appeared to advocate for the weakening of measures in the EU Methane Regulation for the energy sector, labelling existing measures as ‘overly prescriptive’.
In a July 11th statement on its corporate website, Copa Cogeca strongly supported the EU Parliament vote for the exclusion of cattle and mixed farms from the EU Industrial Emissions Directive (IED). Copa Cogeca has consistently advocated to weaken the EU Commission's original ambition for the IED, which sought to include all farms with over 150 livestock units in the directive.
In multiple netTG.pl articles in late February to early March, Euracoal executives have strongly opposed the European Union (EU) Methane Regulation. In a March 11th article, Euracoal Senior Vice President Vladimir Budinsky opposed the regulation, stating that the association has engaged with EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson on the issue. Similarly, in a February 26th article, Euracoal President Dr. Tomasa Rogala also opposed the regulation, stating that the mining sector will strive to raise limits relating to methane emissions for coal mining.
This online briefing is the fourth in InfluenceMap’s regular series expanding on recent corporate engagement with global methane policy captured on the Methane Platform.
The third briefing in InfluenceMap's regular series on corporate policy engagement with global methane policy, as captured on the Methane Platform.
This briefing is the second in a regular series providing an overview of corporate policy engagement on methane policy globally as captured on InfluenceMap’s Methane Platform.
This online briefing is the first of a new regular series launched by InfluenceMap, providing an overview of corporate policy engagement on methane policy globally, captured on its Methane Platform. The briefing summarizes analysis of corporate engagement on methane policies and explores the narrati...
This briefing contains an overview of the corporate lobbying detected by InfluenceMap related to fossil fuels for the month of February 2024.
This briefing contains an overview of the corporate advocacy detected by InfluenceMap related to fossil fuels and climate for the month of November 2023.
This briefing contains an overview of the corporate lobbying detected by InfluenceMap related to fossil fuels for the month of September 2023.
This report maps how European energy corporations are influencing climate and energy investment policy globally. Using LNG advocacy in Europe and Africa as a case study, it demonstrates how industry's attempts to influence policy risks locking in fossil fuels across the entire value chain, from upst...
This analysis considers a collection of strategy documents detailing the International Gas Union's (IGU) communications, advocacy, and outreach playbooks. IGU describes itself as “the spokesperson for the gas industry worldwide”. It has 150+ members including Shell, TotalEnergies, Sempra Energy, and...
Following up on InfluenceMap's 2019 edition of 'Big Oil's Real Agenda', this latest report compares and contrasts the public communications, business operations, and policy engagement of 5 'supermajor' oil companies: BP, Shell, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and TotalEnergies. The report provides evidence of ...
An analysis of industry's playbook to promote fossil gas in Europe
