Policy Implications for Satellite-Based Methane Detection

摘要

In August 2020, the Trump administration finalized plans to roll back regulations on oil and gas industry emissions of methane from new and modified infrastructure.In the same month, the European Commission gathered stakeholder comments as part of its process to introduce the first EU-wide methane regulations.Although contradictory in direction, these regulatory processes on opposite sides of the Atlantic highlighted a critical climate protection challenge: How can the oil and gas industry - and the regulators who oversee it - best detect and address methane emissions to protect the environment and the climate in particular?The answer to this question will drive planning and operational approaches in the oil and gas industry. It could also significantly affect the future role of natural gas. Five years ago, many energy analysts expected natural gas to serve as a bridge fuel that would result in only half as much climate warming as coal, and fewer local air pollutants.