Chief Executive’s Monthly Update – September 2025
By Charlotte Morton OBE, Chief Executive of the World Biogas Association
Welcome to this edition of the WBA Newsletter.
At the Osaka Ministerial on Sustainable Fuels in September, Japan and Brazil announced plans to set an international target to quadruple annual sustainable fuel use by 2035, compared to 2024 levels. This marks a significant step in international efforts to advance the use of sustainable liquid and gaseous fuels to achieve carbon neutrality while simultaneously supporting economic development and energy security.
The Sustainable Industries Letter, which outlines key principles to guide this ambition, was officially presented during a roundtable I attended with COP30 President André Aranha Corrêa do Lago during New York Climate Week. As a signatory to that letter, WBA will also be at COP30 to ensure the biogas sector is recognised and positioned at the forefront of these efforts.
At NYCW, I was also able to promote the Let Green Gas Count (LGGC) campaign at a Clean Fuels Accounting workshop that WBA co-organised with Molecule Group and the coordinators of the LGCC. The workshop was our first opportunity to formally present the High Level Recommendations we published at the beginning of September. These aim to act as interim guidance for the treatment of low-carbon gases in corporate greenhouse gas reporting until the GHG Protocol publishes its standard. In the coming months, we will engage with ESG auditors to secure their buy-in on the recommendations.
I am also delighted to share that our COP30 official side event – which will highlight the role of biogas in preventing waste methane emissions and the pathways to scale the sector rapidly and sustainably – has been approved by the UNFCCC. It will take place on 14 November, the Energy Day of COP30 – stay tuned for details on how to register online and in person.
On International Maritime Day, ahead of the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) expected adoption of new Net Zero regulations on 17 October, WBA released a position paper showcasing biomethane as a practical, scalable and immediate solution for decarbonising shipping. The paper sets out clear policy recommendations that WBA will champion as the IMO finalises its Net Zero framework. We are also pursuing Observer Status to ensure WBA is positioned at the forefront of this critical work.
Finally, WBA’s India team, led by Senior Adviser and Policy Director Pradeep Monga, attended the India Bioenergy & Tech Expo in New Delhi, where Pradeep joined a panel on bioenergy’s role in the international energy transition. The mission also included stakeholder meetings in Bhopal and concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Madhya Pradesh State Government to develop a Biogas Action Plan, advancing the Global Biogas Regulatory Framework (GBRF) and ADCS International under the #MakingBiogasHappen initiative.