The Futility of Relative Methane Reduction Targets in the Absence of Measurement-Based Inventories.

ABSTRACT: Under the Global Methane Pledge, Canada is developing oil and gas sector methane regulations targeting 75% reductions from 2012 levels by 2030. Without measured baselines and inventories, such policies are ultimately unverifiable and unenforceable. Using the major oil and gas producing province of Saskatchewan as a case study, we derive first-ever measurement-based methane inventories for the region and comprehensively model previous emissions back to the 2012 baseline. Although relative reductions of 23-69% have likely occurred, the dispersion of modeled possibilities and the high emissions from continuing production illustrate the limits of this approach as a meaningful policy metric. Moreover, nearly 90% of apparent reductions are explained by decreased production at heavy oil facilitie

SUBMITTER: Conrad BM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10734215 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature