Stop wasting precious public money on gas infrastructure and tax breaks for fossil gas, says T&E. Photo: Flickr.com / Juan Carlos Martins CC BY-ND

Natural gas is as bad for the climate as diesel, petrol and marine fuel

Using natural (fossil) gas for transport is as bad for the climate as using petrol, diesel or conventional marine fuels, according to a new study by Transport & Environment (T&E). Burning fossil gas in cars also emits as much air pollution as petrol, and the limited advantage over compliant diesel cars could be eliminated by planned new standards. For ships, liquefied natural gas (LNG) has clear air pollution benefits compared to heavy fuel oil, although NOx after-treatment systems and further desulphurisation of marine fuels can achieve similar results.

When taking into account the effects of leakage of methane, fossil gas could increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 9 per cent or decrease them by a maximum of 12 per cent across all transport modes. In cars, the GHG impact of compressed natural gas (CNG) is similar to diesel, while in trucks it mirrors closely that of best-in-class diesel lorries. In shipping, the GHG impact of LNG is close to that of marine gas oil, but these figures are highly dependent on engine methane slip and upstream leakage.

Jori Sihvonen at T&E, said: “Gas cars, trucks and ships have no benefits for the climate and they’re a distraction from our real objective, zero-emission transport. Governments should resist the gas lobby’s offensive and stop wasting precious public money on gas infrastructure and tax breaks for fossil gas.”

Source: T&E press release, 24 October 2018. Link to the press release and report in English, French, Italian and Spanish: https://transenv.eu/2AnBfqP

Fossil gasFuels

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Main menu

Natural gas is as bad for the climate as diesel, petrol and marine fuel

In this issue

EU needs net zero emissions by 2040

Editorial: Call for Europe to phase out coal by 2025

Ship emissions debated

What goes up must come down

Levels of long-lived greenhouse gases rose again in 2017

Limiting global warming to 1.5°C is possible

Harmful air pollution levels still much too high

Phasing out coal in Europe

Cut methane to reduce ozone

Citizens support diesel bans to tackle air pollution

EU auditors urge tougher action on air quality

Climate targets for trucks and cars in the making

Livestock sector must contract

European lunches leave carbon footprints overseas

1.5°C is the new 2°C

A 1.5°C target is needed to save the Mediterranean region

In Breif

Electric ferries between Sweden and Denmark

Heavily polluting Romanian power plant challenged

EU rules needed to stop truck NOx fraud

EU auditors critical of CAP proposal

Publications

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Northern forests, climate change and the UNFCCC

EU climate targets aligned with the Paris agreement’s 1.5°C objective

Baltic Sea Offshore Wind Collaborative-Learning project

Air pollution in Europe and children’s health

Climate Change: A Himalayan Odessey

No further discussion needed. The agreed global goal is to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C

Fossil-free electricity 2021

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