Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: GasNaturally appears to be actively engaged on EU climate policy, with mostly negative positions. The association’s engagement on the energy transition seems to be generally negative, including advocating for a long-term role of unabated fossil gas in the energy mix.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: GasNaturally has limited, but broadly supportive, top-line communications on climate policy. The association stated support for the EU’s 2050 carbon neutrality target and the UN Paris Agreement in an October 2021 press release. The organization has not released limited positions on the need for climate regulations in 2020-23, but in a 2018 position paper, it appeared to be supportive of the need for climate change regulation, stating its support for carbon pricing policies.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: GasNaturally has engaged on several EU climate-related regulations with predominantly negative positions. In a September 2023 letter to European policymakers, the association advocated to weaken the EU Methane Regulation for the energy sector, including calling for weaker leak detection and repair obligations, and advocating against the inclusion of imported fossil fuels. GasNaturally advocated to weaken the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive in a June 2022 position paper, calling for the national bans on fossil gas technologies to be overturned. In a May 2021 joint letter on the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED), GasNaturally appeared to support the RED but advocated for the inclusion of targets for decarbonized, renewable and low-carbon gases without clearly specifying what it includes in these terms, or the extent to which CCS will accompany them.
Positioning on Energy Transition: GasNaturally appears to be negatively engaged on the energy transition and has consistently advocated for a long-term role of unabated fossil gas. The association advocated for a range of measures to support fossil gas development, including new LNG infrastructure and domestic fossil gas production in the EU, in a December 2022 meeting with DG Energy, according to documents accessed via Freedom of Information request. GasNaturally also advocated against the phase out of fossil gas boilers in the same meeting.
In an October 2022 joint statement with the Czech presidency of the EU Council, the association advocated for a ramp up in fossil gas production and new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals. GasNaturally also called for new investments in fossil gas and LNG infrastructure in a March 2022 meeting with DG Clima, according to documents accessed via Freedom of Information request.
GasNaturally President Dawn Summers advocated to weaken the EU Sustainable Finance Taxonomy, by supporting the EU Parliament’s decision to not veto the delegated act’s decision to include fossil gas in a July 2022 press release. Furthermore, in a March 2022 position paper, GasNaturally advocated for the EU’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation to provide more support for LNG and compressed natural gas (CNG) infrastructure in the long-term. The association’s July 2022 position paper on the EU’s Hydrogen and Gas Decarbonization Package advocated for all forms of hydrogen to be supported in the policy, including fossil fuel produced hydrogen.