BY JOTISRI VASUDEVAN
“In the ongoing quest to combat climate change, one of the most pressing and under appreciated challenges is methane emissions. While carbon dioxide often takes centre stage in discussions about global warming, methane contributes approximately 30% of the climate change we currently face,” said Fred Krupp, the President of the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).
At the forefront of the fight against methane emissions is Krupp who has been guiding the organisation for over three decades. During a recent leadership dialogue titled “Eliminating Methane Emissions: Future is Now” at the Energy Asia 2023, he shared valuable insights into the science behind EDF’s approach and the steps the energy industry can take to tame the methane menace.
Measuring Methane Emissions: The Science Behind It
EDF’s efforts in tackling methane emissions are rooted in science and expertise.
Krupp highlighted that the organisation has a strong team of scientists working in-house, and they collaborate with hundreds of scientists from universities around the world.
“When we first appreciated the fact that methane was an under appreciated problem, we invested millions of dollars in planes, drones, and ground-held flare instruments to measure methane emissions,” he said.
The results from the methane measurement were eye-opening. Over a decade ago, EDF discovered that methane emissions from the oil and gas industry were significantly underestimated. In the United States alone, EDF found that the industry emitted 60% more methane pollution than was reported to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
This startling revelation led to the realisation that addressing methane emissions was both a serious challenge and a tremendous opportunity.
“Opportunity because the methane coming from economic activity in 2023 will cause more warming of the planet over the next 10 years than all the carbon dioxide coming from burning all the fossil fuels on the planet.”
“This sobering fact highlights the immediate opportunity to bring down temperatures by rapidly reducing methane emissions,” he clarified.While carbon dioxide remains a long-lasting contributor to climate change, tackling methane emissions can yield more significant and immediate results.
MethaneSAT: A Key Enabler
In their pursuit of effective methane mitigations solutions, EDF is preparing to launch MethaneSAT, in QI of 2024, a groundbreaking satellite that will be a key enable to measure and monitor methane emissions across wide areas of the planet.
Unlike previous satellites, MethaneSAT will have the capacity to detect methane as low as two parts per billion and orbit the Earth every 90 minutes.
“Everyone in the world with access to the internet will be able to get access to the data collected by MethaneSAT. It will be published in near real-time for free.”
“It will not only show the concentrations, but it will be the first satellite of any sort to measure pollution, that will measure the flux rate, the volume of pollution coming from each source,” Krupp explained.
This transparency will hold companies accountable for their emissions and encourage progress towards cleaner operations. By monitoring methane hotspots, MethaneSAT will provide valuable information to regulators, policymakers and industry stakeholders, facilitating targeted interventions to reduce emissions.
Commitment to Zero Emissions
“Reducing methane emissions is more akin to plumbing than rocket science. It primarily involves identifying and fixing leaks in equipment and infrastructure which is not very costly,” Krupp pointed out.
The simplicity of the approach underscores the feasibility of achieving substantial methane reduction, making it an accessible and impactful solution for the energy industry.
In addition, Krupp urged all oil companies to join the global methane reporting framework led by UNEP called Oil & Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0This collaborative effort is crucial in combating in improving reporting accuracy, and data transparency associated with methane leaks and promoting sustainable practices within the industry.
“We need all oil companies to follow in the Asia Pacific region and join The Oil & Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0).”
“OGMP 2.0 includes 100 companies, ranging from large corporations to national oil companies. It requires participants to measure and commit to reducing their methane leaks to below 0.2%, equivalent to less than one-fifth of 1% of the natural gas being leaked. Essentially, the aim is to achieve virtually zero methane leakage,” he elaborated.
Krupp highlighted the fact that: “Several companies have already promised to go beyond the 0.2% threshold, signalling the possibility of achieving even lower emissions in the future. However, the initial 0.2% reduction could result in a substantial 90% overall reduction of methane emissions from the oil and gas industry.”
Striking a Balance for Future
Krupp addressed the challenge faced by oil and gas companies regarding profits and climate protection by balancing the importance of addressing both imperatives simultaneously, urging companies to be creative in finding solutions.
He expressed his viewpoint on the recent statement on fossil fuel production made by Shell’s CEO Wael Sawan,
Sawan claimed during an interview that reducing fossil fuel production, which plays a critical role in mitigating global temperature increase, could potentially exacerbate the cost-of-living crisis by restricting global energy supplies and causing an escalation in expenses. He also promised to be “ruthless” in his pursuit of higher returns for shareholders.
This assertion implies that the industry should prioritise pursuing profits over addressing climate change.
Krupp strongly believes that the notion of ruthlessly pursuing profits, at the expense of climate, is fundamentally “unacceptable”.
He acknowledges that developing countries, including those in the ASEAN region, have an imperative to lift their people out of poverty and provide jobs, but there’s also an imperative to protect our homes from climate change such as droughts and cyclones.
He stressed that it requires intelligence, creativity, and cleverness to accept the challenge and find solutions that address both imperatives, by drawing from his own experience at the EDF, where they sought creative and collaborative approaches rather than demonising companies.
Krupp said his hope is that Wael Sawan, possesses the creativity to address the dual imperative: Sawan needs to generate profits for Shell while also finding solutions to protect the world from climate change.
With the collective efforts of all stakeholders, rapid progress in methane reduction is within reach. By seizing this opportunity to address methane emissions now, we can make significant strides in curbing global warming and protecting the planet for future generations.
“I have hope. If we all work at it, this problem is solvable because we have the technical answers. Now we need the ambition to do bold things and solve the problem. It is definitely solvable!”.
Methane Matters to Malaysia
Zooming in to the Malaysian context Dr Helena Varkkey, Associate Professor of Environmental Politics and Governance, from Universiti Malaya expressed her view to The Petri Dish on the sidelines that Malaysia’s most methane-intensive sectors, oil and gas and palm oil, are also our key national economic areas. Hence, Malaysia should view action to improve methane-related processes within these sectors as a valuable opportunity to contribute to global climate mitigation within the long-term national interests of Malaysia.
“In fact, in both these sectors, effective methane avoidance and capture initiatives predate Malaysia joining the Global Methane Pledge in 2021. Furthermore, key players in both sectors have already committed to net zero pathways, with methane emission reductions central to short-term progress to 2030. Continual improvement in terms of monitoring, reporting, verification, and transparency will ensure that Malaysia does not miss the opportunity to gain recognition for our active stance towards methane reduction,” added Helena.
