Climate lawyers challenge EU support for gas pipelines

(Climate Home News, 7 Jun 2022) Climate lawyers are challenging the EU’s support for gas pipelines, arguing it is incompatible with the bloc’s climate targets.

The European Commission has put €13bn ($14bn) worth of gas infrastructure on a list of priority projects, which helps the developers secure funding and permits.

Projects at stake include the Eastern Mediterranean gas pipeline bringing methane gas to mainland Europe through Greece and the Melita pipeline from Italy to the island of Malta.

Guillermo Ramo is one of the Client Earth lawyers on the case. He told Climate Home: “Gas infrastructure is long-lived. We will be using it for decades. So anything we do need to take into account our climate commitments.”

Asked if Eastern Mediterranean gas is necessary to replace Russian gas, he said: “Energy efficiency savings and renewables go first. Many of the pipelines will only be built in many years… it’s too late for them to be useful in the context of them diversifying away from Russia.”

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Climate Home News, 7 Jun 2022: Climate lawyers challenge EU support for gas pipelines