EBA welcomes EU climate ambition and highlights strategic role of biogases in emissions reduction and removals
Brussels, 02/07/2025 – The European Biogas Association (EBA) welcomes the European Commission’s proposed target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 compared to 1990 levels. This reaffirms the EU’s determination to tackle climate change and shape our path after 2030, to ensure the EU reaches climate neutrality by 2050. It also sends a strong signal that deep decarbonisation across all sectors is both necessary and achievable.
Biogases are uniquely positioned to support this transition. As fully renewable, domestically produced energy sources, they can directly reduce emissions in hard-to-abate sectors such as heating, transport, and industry. Today, biogases already deliver 22 billion cubic meters (bcm) of renewable gas to the European market. With €28 billion in private investments expected in the coming years, the sector is poised to scale significantly, potentially reaching 101 bcm by 2040 and covering more than 80% of the EU’s current gas consumption.
Despite its transformative potential, the biogases sector remains overlooked in EU energy and climate policies. To change this, the EBA recently published a Roadmap towards 2040 urging the European Commission and Member States to endorse a 100 bcm biogases target for 2040 and launch the European Biogases Charter by 2025. These actions are vital to establish biogases as a strategic asset in the post-2030 legislative architecture for the achievement of EU climate and energy goals.
Biogases also offer significant potential in carbon removals, addressed in the Commission’s proposal. The biogases sector is expected to lead bio-CO2 capture in Europe by 2027 according to latest EBA data. The sector can enable the cost-effective and scalable capture of biogenic CO₂, helping to replace fossil-based CO₂ and offering a reliable source for long-term storage. By 2040, the technical potential for biogenic carbon capture from biomethane plants could reach 89 million tons of CO₂ annually. This represents a substantial contribution to the EU’s overall carbon capture target of 344 million tons per year.
To fully realise this potential, a clear and forward-looking policy framework is essential. EBA sees great value in setting an EU-wide target for biogenic carbon capture alongside a sectoral roadmap for sustainable carbon management. Such a target would provide market certainty, guide investment, and highlight the priority role of sustainable carbon sources in the EU’s net-zero strategy.
The EBA stands ready to work closely with policymakers to define a concrete pathway for carbon capture and removals by 2040 and 2050. The biogases sector offers proven solutions, technological readiness, and a strong investment pipeline, making it a key ally in delivering the EU’s climate objectives.
Background and next steps
The proposed amendment to the EU Climate Law places a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 at its core. This target reaffirms the EU’s determination to tackle climate change beyond 2030 in the path to reach climate neutrality by 2050. After formal adoption by the European Parliament and Council of the European Union, the regulation will be legally binding and will be directly applicable across all Member States once it enters into force.
Following the setting of the target for 2040, the European Commission will prepare a policy architecture beyond 2030. The Commission envisages a potential role for the limited use of high-quality international credits as of 2036, as well as incentives to build a business case for domestic permanent carbon removals (namely Biogenic emissions Capture with Carbon Storage (BioCCS) to compensate for residual emissions from hard to abate sectors.
Contact
Angela Sainz Arnau, EBA Communications Director sainz@europeanbiogas.eu
