The Environment Agency has published its Methane Action Plan for 2024 to 2026, setting out how it will reduce methane emissions in England. The Agency will use our powers as an environmental regulator and share knowledge and good practice to reduce methane emissions in the UK and internationally.

This plan has 3 main objectives:

• improve the data of sectors we regulate to support better decisions and targeted action by improving how methane is measured, monitored, reported and modelled
• maximise the effectiveness of regulation to enable and encourage operators to reduce methane emissions and maximise utilisation efficiency:
  • reduce and where possible prevent emissions from sectors we regulate for methane losses, such as landfill sites, and anaerobic digestors operating under Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR)
  • continue to provide technical assistance to policy makers in government to help shape future regulation to deliver further reductions in methane emissions
• work with external partners to share knowledge to improve collective understanding of how to reduce methane, measuring standards and monitoring approaches

The EA will “progressively issue new and modified permits to ensure Best Available Techniques (BAT) are adopted for around 120 anaerobic digestion (AD) installations used to treat sewage sludge currently being operated by water companies.”