TL/DR –

Fossil fuel scoops with sass: Gas certification companies are back at it, boasting about their methane monitoring prowess, but an Earthworks report reveals they missed 22 of 23 pollution events. “Certified Gaslighting” is the new black, and it turns out we can’t always trust these third-party monitors! It’s like trusting your ex who cheated on you to watch your dog – we all know he’s going to let Fido get into the garbage again. Let’s not get distracted by the shiny “clean” labels and keep pushing for a legitimate transition away from fossil fuels.

Private Gas Certification Fails to Detect 22 Out of 23 Pollution Events

An analysis by Earthworks and Oil Change International has revealed that fossil fuel companies are increasingly using private gas certification companies to demonstrate methane emission reductions. However, these monitors only captured one of the 23 pollution incidents detected by Earthworks.

According to Dakota Raynes, report author and Earthworks research and policy manager, these ‘certified gas’ labels are a mere industry trick to deflect public scrutiny. She said that these false certifications are a distraction from the urgent need to tackle the climate crisis.

Underperformance of Methane Monitors

Earthworks conducted 81 surveys at 38 oil and gas sites in Colorado over ten months. It detected pollution events in a quarter of its site visits, while the continuous emissions monitors (CEMs) detected only one.

Furthermore, Earthworks found that monitors operated by Project Canary, a leading gas-certification company, were actually offline more than 25% of the time, contradicting their ‘continuous’ operation claims.

Greenwashing Tactics Must End

Lorne Stockman, Research Director at Oil Change International, called out these certification schemes as deceptive, enabling gas companies to expand under the guise of emission reductions. He urged for the end of this greenwashing tactic to focus on phasing out oil and gas.

The report also unveiled that the US oil and gas sector emits more methane than any other country. It released almost 1.2 billion tons of CO2 equivalent in 2023, equal to the emissions of 301 coal plants.

Need for Effective Methane Emission Reduction Strategies

The report authors recommended that methane-reduction efforts should be carried out under government oversight. They advised against including certification schemes in regulatory efforts and insisted on using CEMs transparently and in line with peer-reviewed best practices.

James Hadgis, Executive Director of the Gas Leaks Project, criticized third-party gas certification schemes for failing to capture emissions events. He called for an end to the gas certification farce to control rising methane emissions.

Moreover, the report emphasized the need for a rapid and just transition away from fossil fuels. It warned against the industry push to increase the production and export of liquefied natural gas (LNG), highlighting its potential to exacerbate the climate crisis.

Food & Water Watch‘s Policy Director, Jim Walsh, called LNG exports a “certified disaster”. He urged President Biden to reject industry certification schemes and prioritize phasing out fossil fuels.

Original Story at www.commondreams.org