Methane Emission Regulations and US-EU Trade in Natural Gas

In recent months, European Union (EU) countries have advanced methane emissions legislation, while the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new rules for oil and gas operations affecting domestic methane emissions. This EU decision is expected to impact global gas and LNG exporters, including the US, now the world’s largest LNG exporter, with over half of its LNG going to Europe. Despite US plans to double LNG exports by 2028, the Biden administration’s pause on further export permits to non-FTA countries announced in January 2024 will affect pending US LNG projects.
How will these regulatory changes and political transitions on both sides of the Atlantic influence gas markets and the COP 28 mandate to move away from fossil fuels?
The Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA convened our scholars to understand the implications of the new methane regulations in the US and the EU for both US domestic and global gas markets.
Moderator:
- Anne-Sophie Corbeau, Global Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA
Panelists:
- Dr. Tim Boersma, Adjunct Senior Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA
- Dr. Robert Kleinberg, Adjunct Senior Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA, and Senior Fellow, Boston University