Poland is the largest hard coal producer within the European Union and the biggest emitter of methane produced during the process of hard coal mining. The coal mining industry considers methane emissions mainly through the lens of workers’ safety, but it should be considered as a highly potent greenhouse gas. However, methane emissions are not priced high enough which in turn does not incentivise mine operators to carry out necessary investments. Poland lacks a  systemic approach towards methane emissions mitigation.

Instrat answers these challenges on several levels:

• Provision of regularly updated Coal Mining Database, including their unit-level reported methane emissions
• Conducting research on monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of methane emissions and associated environmental and economic aspects
• Engaging in dialogue about the regulatory aspects (EU Methane Regulation) with the public sector, incl. international organisations, and the coal mining sector at i.a. industry events and in media

Instrat aims to increase knowledge and understanding among all stakeholders which should result in methane emissions mitigation and limiting the coal mining industry’s harmful impact on climate and environment.