Chief Executive’s Monthly Update – April 2025
By Charlotte Morton OBE, Chief Executive of the World Biogas Association
Brazil has made accelerated growth in the global biofuels market one of the key pledges for its presidency of the upcoming COP30 – the first to focus on implementation to achieve tangible progress toward climate targets. This represents a great opportunity for the biogas sector to accelerate its growth and realise its full potential.
We will be in Belém, the COP30 host city, to raise the profile of the biogas sector and showcase the pathways countries can take to meet these targets by adopting and implementing our #MakingBiogasHappen Programme. The two key components of the programme – the Global Biogas Regulatory Framework and the Anaerobic Digestion Certification Scheme International – are now live. These tools are ready to be used by policymakers, civil society, and industry worldwide to drive growth in the biogas sector.
If you plan to attend COP30, please let us know by contacting Giulia Ceccarelli, Head of External Affairs.
Last month, I took part in two high-level roundtables convened by the International Energy Agency (IEA) – both critical milestones on the road to the COP30 Pledge and the Clean Energy Ministerial, to be held in South Korea from 25 to 27 August 2025. The first roundtable, held on 23 April in London as part of the IEA and UK Government Energy Security Summit, focused on the opportunity to tackle methane emissions while strengthening energy security. Whilst addressing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector is easier, I also ensured those assembled appreciated the opportunity to meet half the Global Methane Pledge by recycling organic waste through anaerobic digestion. The Commonwealth Secretariat was keen to share this with its member countries. The second roundtable, on 29 April at the IEA’s HQ in Paris, mobilised key stakeholders to look at how to drive up global demand for sustainable fuels and accelerate their deployment at scale to address the significant gap between forecasts and action on the ground. It was agreed that regulatory alignment should include carbon sequestration and methane abatement, and ensure Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) standardisation for comparability purposes, both key objectives of ADCS International.
April also brought significant progress in decarbonising global shipping, with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) approving new Net Zero regulations. These measures, due for formal adoption in October 2025 and entry into force in 202, will be mandatory for large ocean-going vessels over 5,000 gross tonnages. They include a new fuel standard for ships and a global emissions pricing mechanism.
The WBA welcomes these technology-neutral, goal-based measures that enable a wide range of fuel pathways, including biomethane (bio-LNG). This represents a key step toward a legally binding framework to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping and achieve Net Zero by or around 2050.
Our Policy Team is currently developing WBA’s marine policy recommendations. We welcome engagement from members interested in shipping; please contact Giulia Ceccarelli if you would like to help shape our position on biomethane in the maritime sector.
Finally, we hope you will join us at the World Biogas Summit and Expo! Taking place on 9–10 July 2025 at the NEC Birmingham, this is the must-attend event for anyone seeking to be at the forefront of the global biogas movement. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the conversations that will shape the future of biogas.