Working Together to Reduce Methane Emissions

August 2, 2018: Working Together to Reduce Methane Emissions

An article published earlier this year in The Conversation gives an excellent summary of the efforts on behalf of the U.S., Canada and Mexico from the last several years to reduce their methane emissions.

The article’s authors are Kate Konschnik, Director, Climate & Energy Program, Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, Duke University; and Sarah Marie Jordaan, Assistant Professor of Energy, Resources and Environment and Canadian Studies, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University.

Konschnik and Jordaan state that, “In 2016 U.S., Canadian and Mexican leaders pledged to reduce methane emissions from the oil and natural gas sector 40 to 45 percent below 2012 levels by 2025. Today, however, Canada is just beginning to contemplate more comprehensive regulatory limits on methane. Mexico has made only nonbinding pledges so far, and the Trump administration is rolling back federal methane regulation.”

They go on to discuss briefly the role and progress of science, governmental and nongovernmental agencies in methane reduction citing, “…many discrepancies in how methane emissions are measured from place to place. States and provinces have inconsistent reporting requirements, applying different thresholds over which facilities must report emissions. And there are unexplained differences between facility-level estimates of methane coming out of leaky valves and pipes on one hand, and measurements of methane in the atmosphere near oil and gas facilities.”

They conclude that the path to success will require active coordination across industry, environmental organizations, academia and government, integrating science and policy to move North America toward a lower carbon future.

ONE Future is proud to say that we are one step ahead of that suggestion! At thirteen members strong and growing, and with a mission to demonstrate credible and measurable results, ONE Future has companies agree to measure their emissions and track their progress over time according to uniform, EPA-approved reporting protocols.

We are thankful for our progress and delighted to see discussion increasing around the efforts needed to reduce methane emissions. For more on how you can become a member, visit our website.

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