42 leading institutional investors, representing more than €4.5 trillion in assets under management, have signed a letter calling on the European Commission, European Parliament and EU Member States to maintain and swiftly implement the EU Methane Emissions Regulation (EU MER) as adopted. They warn that backtracking would undermine regulatory certainty and market stability, while also slowing progress on methane reduction.
Nordea Asset Management, Sampension, Miller/Howard Investments and Church of England Pensions Board are among the 42 signatories.
The signatories stress that regulatory clarity is critical for companies and markets as they plan for compliance and manage long-term risks. Strong monitoring, reporting and verification requirements, as set out in the EU MER, provide accountability, help mitigate portfolio risks and strengthen companies’ operational resilience and competitiveness. Companies will also benefit from timely guidance from the Commission to prepare for compliance – successful implementation depends on sustained collaboration with industry and investors.
Signatories add that reducing oil and gas methane emissions remains one of the fastest and most cost-effective strategies to limit near-term global warming.
Performance on methane is increasingly viewed as a marker of management quality, process safety, and operational excellence, all factors closely linked to long-term shareholder value.
The letter urges EU policymakers to avoid reopening the regulation, ensure consistent and timely implementation across Member States, and apply rigorous standards for third-country equivalency. Doing so will provide predictability for businesses, safeguard market integrity and reinforce the EU’s global leadership on methane.
Eric Christian Pederson, Head of Responsible Investments, Nordea Asset Management: “Regulatory certainty is fundamental to long-term business planning, and methane reductions are essential for limiting near-term global warming. The EU methane rules as they stand aren’t just good climate policy — they’re needed to reduce risk for companies, portfolios, the securities market and society at large. Watering down regulation that companies have already based investment decisions on is counterproductive and risks undermining globally agreed methane reduction efforts.”
Jacob Ehlerth Jørgensen, Head of ESG, Sampension: “We recognize the need to ease regulatory complexity for companies and investors, but climate and sustainability goals must remain front and center. Cutting methane emissions from the fossil fuel sector is critical to global climate targets, and regulation must not be delayed or weakened”
Luan Jenifer, CEO & President, Miller/Howard Investments, Inc.: “Strong methane mitigation and robust measurement, reporting and verification (MRV)—core to the EU Methane Regulation—benefit not just the climate, but also the oil and gas industry and its investors. Methane performance is now seen as a proxy for management quality, operational excellence, and long-term competitiveness. Regulatory clarity and transparency build trust and drive smarter investment.”
Sara Taaffe, Responsible Investment Analyst, Church of England: "Managing the financial risks of climate change remains a core priority for the Pensions Board. Reducing methane emissions is essential to this—helping mitigate portfolio risks and advance decarbonisation. That’s why we urge EU regulators to uphold the ambition of the EU Methane Emissions Regulation (EU MER), which provides the clarity and accountability businesses and investors need to act effectively."
For media inquiries, please contact:
Tommaso Mazzanti
Media Relations Senior Manager, IIGCC
tmazzanti@iigcc.org
+44 7470994187
Nordea Corporate Communications
Nordea Corporate Communications, Nordea Asset Management
press@nordea.com
Rune Lindberg
Head of Media Relations, Sampension
RLI@sampension.dk
Andrea Ward
Senior Communications Manager, Royal London Asset Management
andrea.ward1@royallondon.com