Article

A recent analysis by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) indicates that European gas pipeline operators are significantly underreporting their CO2 emissions due to a gap in reporting standards. It is estimated that these operators only disclose less than one percent of their actual emissions, which are about 150 times greater than reported figures.

The study focuses on six major companies—Snam (Italy), NaTran (France), Enagás (Spain), Fluxys (Belgium), Open Grid Europe (Germany), and Gasunie (Netherlands)—which control over 100,000 kilometers of pipelines and more than half of the LNG terminals in the EU. The IEEFA estimates that the total transported emissions of these companies amount to approximately 700 million tons of CO2 per year, comparable to Germany's total emissions. The report calls for enhanced transparency and clearer guidelines from regulators regarding the reporting of Scope 3 emissions to provide stakeholders with a realistic view of the climate impact of these operators.