Gas Majors Commit to Methane Reductions

Rocky Mountain Institute facilitates guiding principles for eight international gas companies to significant methane emissions reductions

Boulder, CO – November 22, 2017 –Today, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) joined several leading climate and energy NGOs to release a Guiding Principles document signed by international gas companies BP, Eni, ExxonMobil, Repsol, Shell, Statoil, Total and Wintershall, as part of the companies’ ongoing commitments to meaningful and significant methane emissions reductions from natural gas production.

The Guiding Principles these companies signed onto are: To continually reduce methane emissions; advance strong performance across gas value chains; improve accuracy of methane emissions data; advocate sound policies and regulations on methane emissions; and increase transparency.

“Today’s methane reduction agreement between eight leading international oil and gas companies is a watershed moment in the fight against climate change and the transition to a low carbon economy” said Ned Harvey, managing director at Rocky Mountain Institute. “Along with several leading climate NGOs, RMI is proud to help industry stakeholders craft guiding principles that will have a real and significant effect on reducing the amount of methane emitted from natural gas production.”

The RMI Zero Methane Emissions team contributed its expertise on initiating and delivering commercial methane abatement projects, partnering with governments to reduce gas flares at the national scale, and effecting change by leveraging existing and potential market forces. RMI also communicated a level of urgency and scope on the need to involve the full natural gas supply chain, including gas producers, distributors and customers – as well as equipment suppliers, financiers and governments.

Along with RMI’s Zero Methane Emissions program, the Guiding Principles were developed in collaboration with experts from Environmental Defense Fund, the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Gas Union, the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative Climate Investments, the Sustainable Gas Institute, The Energy and Resources Institute, and United Nations Environment.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Nick Steel, Senior Media Associate

Rocky Mountain Institute

Tel: +1 347-574-0087

Email: nsteel@rmi.org