In Nature Energy, Team of Experts Describes Key Building Blocks for a Differentiated, Low-Methane Global Natural Gas Market
Austin, Texas, Nov. 2, 2023 – A new article published in the journal Nature Energy today describes the technical and policy challenges that must be overcome to build a trusted global market in differentiated natural gas, or gas that is produced, processed and delivered with low greenhouse gas emissions.
Methane emissions are expected to be a major focal point during COP 28 climate talks in the United Arab Emirates, which are scheduled to start Nov. 30, and officials in the European Union are in advanced negotiations to establish methane intensity limits on imported natural gas.
Researchers from the Energy Emissions Modeling and Data Lab (EEMDL), an initiative of three U.S. universities to improve the accuracy of greenhouse gas emissions measurement and accounting, worked with a team of diverse experts to describe “the essential technical building blocks that must be created in order to enable the effective use of a global differentiated gas framework,” according to the article.
“This is crucial for achieving credible emissions reductions in natural gas at the levels of cargo, portfolio, jurisdiction and country,” the 17 co-authors wrote in their article, which can be accessed here. “These building blocks … include measurements, models, data-quality metrics, reporting frameworks and independent verification.”
Co-authors of the Nature Energy article are affiliated with 15 organizations, including the Environmental Defense Fund, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and Carbon Mapper, a nonprofit organization that uses satellite and airborne technology to detect and track methane and carbon dioxide emissions.
The publication of the Nature Energy article follows the launch of EEMDL’s Differentiated Gas Technical Road Mapping Initiative, which will help inform public and private sector officials across major natural gas exporting and importing countries that have shown interest in expanding the global market for low methane emissions natural gas.
The goals of the Road Mapping Initiative are as follows:
Gather and synthesize data and insights from key technical experts in academia, think tanks, NGOs and the private sector.
Provide relevant, timely and focused input regarding these findings and insights for use by differentiated gas stakeholders, with a focus on technical relevance of LNG exporting and importing countries to develop a shared differentiated gas framework.
Prepare and publish scholarly articles, whitepapers and other publications to make these data and insights accessible to the full range of interested public and private stakeholders.
The publication of the Nature Energy article also follows the completion of EEMDL’s first Annual Event in Austin, TX, which brought together hundreds of experts, decisionmakers and stakeholders to discuss the latest developments in emissions inventories, methane regulations, differentiated gas markets and the global LNG trade.
The keynote address for the EEMDL 2023 Annual Event was delivered by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary Brad Crabtree. DOE is currently working with other countries on an international framework for the measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV) of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the global natural gas supply chain that can be used by both buyers and sellers or by individual governments.
ABOUT EEMDL
The Energy Emissions Modeling and Data Lab (EEMDL) is a multi-disciplinary research and education center with a mission to be the global data and analytics hub to support improved greenhouse gas emissions accounting across energy supply chains.
Media and stakeholder contact:
Simon Lomax, EEMDL Director of External Relations
+1 202-379-6971 (c)
Email EEMDL
