Full Title: Rising Risk: Improving Methane Disclosure in the Oil and Gas Industry
Author(s): Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)
Publisher(s): Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)
Publication Date: January 1, 2016
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Methane, the primary component of natural gas, is a climate pollutant 84 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over a 20 year period, and it is responsible for a quarter of the warming we are experiencing today.1
Emissions from the oil and natural gas industry represent the largest industrial source of methane emissions, both in the United States and globally.2 Methane emissions undermine the value proposition of natural gas for delivering cleaner, low-cost energy, and have drawn increasing scrutiny from the public, environmental and health groups, and state and federal policymakers. Additionally, emissions of methane represent wasted saleable product, with implications for operational efficiency and the bottom line. Unfortunately, reporting of methane emissions by the industry is lacking, making it challenging for investors to effectively understand the materiality of the problem, assess performance and manage risk.