22 September 2025, Doha, Qatar - GECF Hosts 5th Methane Emissions Reduction Workshop on the Sidelines of the 52nd Executive Board Meeting
The 5th GECF Methane Emissions Reduction Workshop was successfully convened on the sidelines of the 52nd Meeting of the GECF Executive Board, in a hybrid format at the GECF Headquarters in Doha, Qatar. The event brought together high-level officials, experts, and like-minded organisations to exchange views, share knowledge, and deliberate on one of the most pressing challenges facing natural gas producers: the European Union Methane Emissions Regulation (EU MER).
In his keynote opening remarks, HE Eng. Mohamed Hamel, Secretary General of the GECF, underscored the significant strides made by GECF Member Countries in reducing methane emissions. He highlighted national initiatives to strengthen MRV systems, expand LDAR programs, advance CCUS projects, integrate renewables and efficiency measures into gas operations, and develop carbon sinks through afforestation. These efforts, he stressed, are fully consistent with the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, particularly the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and the provision that contributions to mitigation are nationally determined, in light of national circumstances and capabilities, and within the context of sustainable development.
At the same time, HE Hamel cautioned that the EU Methane Emissions Regulation introduces new and complex challenges. While presented as domestic legislation, it effectively imposes binding obligations on non-EU producers, raising serious concerns of extraterritoriality and potential inconsistency with WTO rules and the Paris Agreement framework. He noted that the Regulation entails technical feasibility challenges and confidentiality risks and would impose a significant cost burden on non-EU countries, especially developing countries, in the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars per year. Most importantly, he emphasised that these measures were developed without consultation with producing countries, underscoring the need for a freeze of de facto extraterritorial effect of the Regulation. HE Hamel reaffirmed GECF’s readiness to engage in constructive dialogue with all stakeholders to ensure methane mitigation is effective, equitable, and respectful of national sovereignty and international treaties.
The first session of the workshop featured presentations by the GECF Secretariat on the legal and technical assessments of the EU MER and the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). Drawing on comprehensive, newly conducted studies, the Secretariat demonstrated that the EU MER sits uneasily with international trade law and the UNFCCC and the Paros Agreement principles and provisions, while simultaneously posing significant technical and operational challenges for exporters.
The second session was dedicated to a deeper examination of the legal, technical, and economic implications of the EU MER, its projected impact on international gas markets, and the potential strategic responses available to exporting countries. Distinguished speakers from the University of Dundee, the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP), the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES), and Rystad Energy delivered insightful analyses and engaged in a vibrant discussion that shed light on the multifaceted risks of the Regulation and explored practical mitigation strategies for natural gas producers.
The workshop then proceeded to a closed session among GECF Member Country delegations, where senior experts from Algeria and Russia shared their national experiences in methane emissions reduction. This was followed by an exchange among Member Countries on possible follow-up actions and avenues for coordinated measures within the GECF framework.
The successful conclusion of the Workshop reaffirmed the GECF’s role as a premier platform for dialogue, expertise, and cooperation on natural gas and climate-related issues. It also underscored the Forum’s unwavering commitment to advancing fair, balanced, and multilateral approaches to methane emissions reduction, safeguarding the legitimate interests of its Member Countries, and promoting the role of natural gas as a reliable, clean, and indispensable partner in the global energy transitions.