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This piece was co-authored by Dr. Tianyi Sun, Climate Scientist, and Dr. Ilissa Ocko, Senior Climate Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund. As the international negotiations in Glasgow come to an end, we celebrate getting closer to the goal put forth by the 26th Conference of Parties — securing global net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by mid-century.

One of the biggest accomplishments from COP26 is the global consensus around the urgent need to reduce methane emissions. More than 100 countries representing more than two-thirds of the global economy promised to collectively reduce 30% of man-made methane emissions by 2030. The agreement follows recent analysis from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which …

Methane had a major moment on the world’s stage last week at the annual United Nations climate conference when more than 100 countries pledged to reduce global methane emissions by 30% this decade. Not only that, we also saw the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency propose enhanced protections to reduce methane pollution from oil and gas …

By Edwin LaMair and Grace Smith Last week the Environmental Protection Agency proposed methane standards that will, for the first time, apply to the nation’s nearly one million existing oil and gas wells and other facilities. A critical step that charts a path to major emission cuts. As methane takes the spotlight on the world …

With major COP26 commitments to cut methane emissions from multiple sectors, global leaders are finally focusing on agriculture. The post Global leaders can’t fulfill their methane promises without agriculture first appeared on Growing Returns.

EDF President Fred Krupp argues that we need to focus on the most cost-effective methods for reducing climate pollution even as we take on the challenge of moving from a mostly fossil-fuel-powered world to a clean global economy.

Global Methane Pledge statement by Fred Krupp

The EPA today proposed historic climate and health protections to strengthen and expand limits on methane pollution from the oil and gas industry.

5 key climate metrics for the next 5 years of oil and gas.

New peer-reviewed research published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that methane emissions from natural gas infrastructure and buildings in the Boston area have remained consistently high over the last eight years, despite multiple programs aimed at reducing methane pipeline leakage. This study indicates that more action is needed …

The finance community can help catalyze climate progress by publicly supporting the climate provisions of the budget reconciliation package and pushing portfolio companies and corporate clients to do the same.

The urgency of tackling methane is finally being recognized at the highest levels — and new satellite-based tools are coming to make that possible. Here’s how we got to this Methane Moment.

Building a thriving net zero future for people and the planet is the defining challenge of our time. Solving the climate crisis requires immediate action from all corners of the global economy, but carbon-intensive sectors play a particularly important role in the transition to a net zero carbon future. Many investors in these areas —

There’s a common misconception that “marginal” or low-producing wells are nothing more than a marginal problem when it comes to the oil and gas industry’s methane emissions. The reality is that these wells make up about 80% of all active wells in the U.S, over 560,000 in total. These are not the mom-and-pop operations some …

Environmental Defense Fund unveiled a new map today that shows the location of every documented orphan well in the United States.

Statement of EDF President Fred Krupp

Over the past two weeks the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board heard from a variety of New Mexicans as they considered newly proposed rules to limit oil and gas air pollution in New Mexico. What was striking over the 10 long days of testimony is just how broad and deep the support for a suite …

Environmental Defense Fund is leading the fight to expose a powerful pollutant accelerating climate change: methane. Watch this short video about the problem.

Methane measurements from the Permian Basin, the world’s largest oilfield, indicates continued oil and gas industry struggles to contain methane emissions.

Under Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico has made oil and gas air pollution and methane reductions a focus of regulatory improvements, restoring enforcement teeth to the governor’s Oil Conservation Division and finalizing a strong methane waste rule that bans routine venting and flaring earlier this year. These critical policy efforts will reach a climax …

By Andrew Baxter Thanks to a decade of groundbreaking research, methane emissions from oil and gas operations have advanced from a relative afterthought among climate pollutants to an A-list issue in the global climate conversation, as well a widely acknowledged reputational, regulatory and financial liability for the industry. Major investors are demanding responsible methane action …

This first-of-its-kind reporting framework is designed to improve the clarity and credibility of oil and gas industry methane emissions data.

Statement of EDF President Fred Krupp

The U.S. and the European Union announced the best climate news we’ve had in a long time today, a commitment to cut their methane emissions 30% by the end of the decade, rallying other governments to join them.

Routine flaring in Texas is, well, too routine. It’s wasteful, harmful for health and the climate, and getting permission to burn gas instead of finding a productive use for it is far too easy in our state. Over 1 trillion cubic feet of Texas gas have been vented or flared by operators in the past …