Brazil proposes biomethane targets to reduce natural gas emissions

The Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) has opened a 30-day public consultation regarding a proposal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the natural gas market. The proposal targets a 1% reduction in emissions for 2027, to be achieved through the increased use of biomethane in natural gas consumption.

Under the proposal, the target would increase gradually in subsequent years: 3% in 2028, 4% in 2029, and 5% in 2030. For 2027, the 1% goal corresponds to the use of 363.2 million cubic meters of biomethane, or approximately 995,200 cubic meters per day, equivalent to 3,632,492 Biomethane Origin Guarantee Certificates (CGOBs).

The initiative follows Law No. 14,993/2024, which established the National Program for Decarbonization of Natural Gas Producers and Importers and the Incentive for Biomethane. This mechanism links emission reduction targets to biomethane participation and the use of CGOBs. The 2026 target was set at 0.5%.