German Oil and Gas Firms Violate Methane Reporting Rules, DUH Claims
Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) has found that a majority of Germany's over 800 oil and gas infrastructure operators are failing to comply with methane emission reporting requirements. Roughly one-third of companies submitted no reports at all for 2024 and 2025.
Berlin – A significant portion of Germany's approximately 800 oil and gas infrastructure operators are in violation of their reporting obligations concerning methane emissions, according to an analysis by Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH). The environmental organization's review of company data for 2024 and 2025 indicates widespread non-compliance with the EU's Methane Regulation.
DUH reported that approximately one-third of the obligated companies – including over 200 gas network operators, two LNG terminals, 12 gas storage facilities, and two oil and gas producers – failed to submit any reports for 2024. The situation did not significantly improve for the 2025 reporting year, even with new requirements for companies to conduct their own measurements. Only seven companies documented performing such measurements on their infrastructure.
The environmental group also criticized regulatory shortcomings, noting that ten out of Germany's 16 federal states have yet to designate supervisory authorities, despite legal mandates being in place for over a year. DUH described this as a "lack of enforcement" that prevents penalties for violations, urging companies to submit missing reports and authorities to establish oversight bodies.
DUH highlighted that methane is over 80 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, contributing significantly to global warming. Approximately 40% of methane emissions originate from the fossil fuel sector. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that actual methane emissions from fossil fuel companies are up to 80% higher than officially reported.