New Ipsos poll: citizens in six European countries want the EU’s methane rules kept on schedule, and the more they learn about them, the more they back them

[EMBARGOED until 06:00 CET, Friday 25 September 2026]

BRUSSELS, 25 September 2026—The EU’s methane rules are under pressure to be delayed. A new poll finds voters want the opposite: for governments to implement them as planned. 

Moreover, the more people learn about the rules, the more they back them. That places the politicians  pressing to delay and weaken the EU Methane Regulation at odds with the public.  

Methane is a super pollutant responsible for a large share of near-term global warming, escaping across the oil, gas and coal supply chains through leaks, venting and flaring. The EU Methane Regulation requires fossil fuel operators to measure, report and cut their methane emissions, including by finding and fixing leaks. It also asks importers to show that the fossil fuels they sell into the EU meet comparable standards to producers in Europe. 

The poll comes after a summer of extreme heat and wildfires across Europe, with 82% of respondents linking the record heat to climate change. Addressing methane emissions is among the fastest and most cost effective ways to slow that warming in the near term. 

The more people know, the more they back it 

Given a short, factual explanation of what methane is and what the EU Methane Regulation does, 69% of respondents support requiring imported oil and gas to meet the comparable methane rules as EU producers,  rising to 78% in France and 79% in Italy, and 66% want their own government to implement the law. 

No majority for delay 

Once people understand what the EU Methane Regulation does, moving ahead and keeping the timetable is the most popular position in all six countries, including an outright majority in France and Italy (both 57%).  Nowhere does a majority support delaying, weakening or dropping the rules. 

Security through less dependence 

In every country, more people see cutting Europe’s reliance on imported oil and gas as making the continent safer rather than less safe (from 42% in Czechia to 62% in Italy). That is the opposite of the security case made for delay. Moreover, citizens identify geopolitics as the key driver for energy bills, and specifically the  Strait of Hormuz disruption (49% “a great deal”) leads, also close by is Russia’s war on Ukraine (45%).  

A level playing field 

There is also strong backing for holding importers to the same standard as European producers. Majorities  in five of the six countries want penalties for suppliers that break the rules, from 53% in Germany to 72% in  France. In Poland, penalties are still the most popular response (45%), ahead of warnings or no consequences. The emphasis is less on punishment than on fairness: foreign suppliers meeting comparable methane standards to those EU producers already follow. 

Climate change is tangible 

70% report personally experiencing unusually severe weather in the last two years, and 82% see this summer’s record heat as driven by climate change. 

In context: why the EU Methane Regulation matters 

Beyond the polling and in addition to the climate cooling benefits, the EU Methane Regulation delivers  tangible benefits for European citizens: 

• Use energy already paid for, don’t waste it: the EU Methane Regulation addresses a simple inefficiency.  Methane that leaks away before it reaches European consumers (or that is deliberately flared and vented) is energy already paid for but never used, and most leaks can be fixed with existing technology,  often at little or no cost, because the captured gas can be sold or used. The International Energy Agency estimates more gas is lost to methane leaks worldwide each year than the volume affected by the recent  Strait of Hormuz disruption.1 Analysis puts the cost of fixing such leaks at roughly one cent per liter of fuel.2
• Cleaner, healthier air. Methane drives the formation of ground-level ozone, or smog. That pollutant inflames airways and aggravates respiratory illness. Cutting methane leaks therefore means cleaner air for people across Europe now, promoting human health. It is also the fastest lever to slow near-term warming and support planetary health. 

Quotes 

Léa Pilsner, Director at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF): “The poll results speak for themselves: Europeans expect action on methane, as two-thirds want their government to implement the EU Methane Regulation.  This is a wake-up call for European leaders who follow the pressure of parts of the oil and gas industry to delay the Regulation rather than protect their people from heatwaves, pollution and wasted energy driven by methane emissions. Leaders should in the first place answer to the people who elected them and these  results give a clear instruction: support the EU Methane Regulation without delays.” 

Brandon Locke, Associate Director at Clean Air Task Force (CATF): “European citizens understand that cutting methane is not at odds with energy security. Methane leaks waste valuable gas before it ever reaches consumers, and most leaks are inexpensive to fix. Delaying the rules won’t solve today’s affordability challenges. It would simply put off action on a problem we already know how to address.” 

Jack Corscadden, Senior Campaigner at Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) – “81% of EU citizens support the bloc’s goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050. The latest Ipsos survey shows overwhelming support for the EU Methane Regulation, a key piece of legislation aimed at delivering EU climate goals. It’s time for policymakers to start listening to the citizens they represent, rather than the self-serving arguments of the fossil fuel industry. The path to reducing emissions and protecting EU energy security lies in the practical implementation of the EUMR.” 

See full survey results here.

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Notes to editors
1. The survey was conducted by Ipsos and commissioned by the Global Methane Hub. Fieldwork and analysis were conducted independently by Ipsos. Fieldwork was carried out online via Ipsos’s certified online panel among adults aged 18+ in six EU countries (Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Czechia and Poland) with a sample of approximately 1,000 per country (total n≈6,000). Respondents were selected using non-probability quota sampling, with quotas set by country, gender and age. As a non-probability online sample, the results are not subject to a classical margin of error.

2. A note on question design. Several questions measured support after respondents were shown a short, factual explanation of methane and of what the EU Methane Regulation does; the exact question wording is provided in the full data tables.

The Global Methane Hub

The Global Methane Hub organizes and unites governments, industry leaders, scientists, and nonprofit organizations across the globe to minimize methane pollution through technology and common-sense public policies and regulations. They have raised over $500 million in pooled funds from more than 20 of the largest climate philanthropies to accelerate methane mitigation across the globe.

Press contact: Alex Braley – [email protected] | +32 483386709