A non-governmental organization believes that the European Union has failed to protect citizens and files a case with the EU Court of Justice. Methane emissions are associated with imported gas production.
The Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) presents a case this Wednesday before the Court of Justice of the European Union (EU), accusing the EU of failing to protect Europeans by not limiting imports of gas associated with methane emissions .
The GLAN network, a non-governmental organization, considers that the EU has not protected the lives of Europeans by not limiting gas imports associated with methane emissions “significant and dangerous”.
This is the first process in Europe to focus on States’ human rights obligations related to methane emissions, a gas with a significant greenhouse effect that has contributed much more to global warming than carbon dioxide (CO2). ), highlights the organization in a statement. statement.
Methane, GLAN states in a statement, is a greenhouse gas that has caused around 30% of global warming in a period of 20 years and is 84 times more powerful than CO2. Rapid and sustained reductions in methane emissions are “absolutely essential” to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
The lawsuit targets a mechanism created to stabilize gas prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The basis of the legal challenge is the absence of limits for methane emissions associated with the production of gas sold through this mechanism (AggregateEU).
The process is based on the decision of the European Court of Human Rights last April, in an action also brought by GLAN, which evaluated three climate-related cases, partially ruling one, brought by elderly Swiss women who complained of that the Government has not acted adequately to mitigate the effects of global warming. One of the processes involved six young portuguese which brought 32 States before the Court.
Climate. The European Court of Human Rights does not agree with the young Portuguese
Jerry Liston, GLAN lawyer involved in the case of the young Portuguese, justifies this Wednesday’s action, in a statement from the organization, with what he considers “a clear violation” of the EU’s human rights obligations.
“This year, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that States must take urgent measures to prevent the irreversible and catastrophic impacts of the climate crisis. The science is clear that this can only be achieved by dramatically reducing methane emissions this decade. Instead, the EU is promoting Gas import to Europe. without limits on methane emissions associated with its production. “This is a clear violation of the EU’s human rights obligations,” he said.
The statement also highlights that there are “significant emissions” associated with oil and gas production in many countries, such as Azerbaijan or the Egyptwith which the EU has concluded agreements to increase gas supplies.
The EU has led global methane mitigation commitments, including the launch of Global Methane Commitmentin 2021, in which more than 150 countries have already committed to reducing emissions by 30% by 2030.
In May this year, the EU adopted the Methane Regulation, which sets limits on imports of high-carbon fossil fuels. “methane intensity”or high levels of methane emissions associated with its production and supply. However, these limits will only come into force from 2030.
If successful, the process will establish a binding legal obligation for the EU to take immediate action to limit imports of high-methane fossil fuels.
Source: Observadora
