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A first-of-its-kind analysis from Ceres and Clean Air Task Force compares the total reported methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions — as well as the relative emissions intensity — of nearly 300 U.S. oil and gas producers. The data provides operators, natural gas purchasers, investors, policymakers and regulators with a rich resource to inform decision-making.
Sponsored by Bank of America, and with technical analysis by MJ Bradley & Associates (MJB&A) – an ERM Group company that provides strategic consulting services to support the transition to a lower carbon economy – the analysis uses data that companies have submitted to the US EPA in compliance with the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. It can be accessed via an interactive data platform hosted at MJB&A’s website.
The report highlights wide variation in the emissions intensity (the amount of methane or greenhouse gas emissions per unit of production) between producers, even those with operations of a similar size, and provides comparisons both within the same basin and nationwide. These differences reflect the nature of different hydrocarbon basins, as well as companies’ equipment and operational practices.
The findings of this new analysis will help inform investors aiming to differentiate between companies, provide valuable insights to natural gas purchasers, and will also inform regulators, lawmakers and even oil and gas company executives themselves as the US EPA prepares to revise federal methane regulations this fall.
“By analyzing data reported to EPA under a consistent methodology, this report allows for direct comparisons of producer performance” said Robert LaCount, ERM’s Climate Advisory lead for North America. “These data provide valuable insights to a range of stakeholders and will continue to improve as technology and reporting frameworks allow us to better account for total emissions.”
The benchmarking exercise is part of ERM’s ongoing work to help society navigate the low carbon transition. This includes helping power generators and developers to deliver renewable and low/no carbon energy; enabling energy companies to reduce the carbon intensity of multiple products including natural gas, liquified natural gas, and renewable natural gas; and working with the world’s major banks to deliver on financing aligned with the Paris Agreement.
The analysis is a collaborative effort between Ceres, Bank of America and Clean Air Task Force, conducted by MJ Bradley & Associates. Full, interactive datasets are available at www.mjbradley.com.
About M.J. Bradley & Associates
M.J. Bradley & Associates (MJB&A), an ERM Group Company, provides strategic and technical advisory services to address critical energy and environmental matters including energy policy, regulatory compliance, emission markets, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and advanced technologies. ERM is a global pure-play sustainability consultancy with deep sectoral, technical ad business expertise in the low-carbon energy transition. For more information, visit www.mjbradley.com.
About Ceres
Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with the most influential capital market leaders to solve the world’s greatest sustainability challenges. For more information, visit ceres.org and follow @CeresNews.
About Clean Air Task Force
Clean Air Task Force (CATF) is a non-profit organization working to safeguard against the worst impacts of climate change by catalyzing the rapid global development and deployment of low-carbon energy and other climate-protecting technologies. For more information, visit catf.us.
