Methane Levels Reach an All-Time High

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Methane Levels Reach an All-Time High:  But Readily Addressable


Methane is a greenhouse gas with a short-term climate impact 84 times more potent than CO2.  
Natural gas is often presented as a “clean transition fuel” (from coal to gas to renewables) because it burns more cleanly than coal. Methane is also the primary component of natural gas.  The carbon dioxide equivalent of methane is calculated using the 20-year global warming potential (GWP) of 84 (CO2's GWP is defined as 1.0)*. 

 True, burning natural gas does indeed emit less carbon dioxide (CO2) and particulate matter than coal to produce the same amount of energy.  However, the “clean” label for natural gas ignores the methane released into the atmosphere when gas is extracted, moved through pipelines, and distributed into homes and businesses. Worldwide, the oil and gas industry emits 80 million tons of methane pollution each year: 16 percent of all human-made greenhouse gas CO2 emissions.


It takes 84 times as much CO2 to equal the Global
Warming Potential of Methane over 20 years. But 
we’re operating on a 10-year timeline for
dramatic emissions reductions
"The current patchwork of voluntary and regulatory actions is failing to drive methane reductions at the scale and speed necessary for climate alignment. ... Despite greenhouse gas reduction commitments by several companies, there is a lack of transparency into whether a company’s claimed methane emissions reductions are actually occurring in practice. Two things are essential to curbing methane emissions from the oil and gas industry: 
  1. Global adoption of a methane emissions standard for gas that clearly defines the rules industry must comply with during this transition.
  2. A trusted source of transparent and accessible data, coupled with creative analytical approaches, that can translate data into methane abatement action by operators, investors, consumers, and regulators." (Source)
"The CEO's from several of Europe’s leading majors—including BP, Equinor, ENI, Shell, and Total—have committed to a “near-zero methane” future, with an ambition to reach 0.20 percent methane intensity (methane emissions divided by gas production) by 2025. Some of these companies have also signed on to the Methane Guiding Principles.  The Methane Guiding Principles focus on reducing methane emissions across the natural gas supply chain, from production to final consumer."

 *The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment Report (AR5).

 Sources:
https://bit.ly/2zNggA7
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https://bit.ly/2SpaNpr
https://bit.ly/35lSW8e
https://bit.ly/3cVFqL8

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