In addition to the letter signed by 148 organizations, nearly 4,000 individuals signed a public petition organized by Earthworks, Oil Change International, Gas Leaks and Climate Nexus, urging the agency to halt their involvement in "certified" gas schemes, which are being used to justify the continued expansion of gas infrastructure that will put our climate goals out of reach and harm the health of Indigenous, marginalized and low-income communities around the world.
More to come on this issue, as it seems likely that the industry will continue to use other venues to develop standards that they can use to market their product to the public as "clean."
Today, a broad coalition of 148 climate and environmental justice organizations called on the Biden administration to abandon efforts to set a standard for what constitutes “certified” or “responsibly sourced” methane gas. Gas Leaks, Earthworks and Oil Change International are simultaneously launching the Certified Disasters campaign to allow the public to weigh in against “certified” gas, a corporate greenwashing strategy that enables the expansion of fossil fuels.
Recent attention on methane pollution from the oil and gas industry has led to a proliferation of third-party monitoring companies claiming to prove that methane gas projects are “certified” or “responsibly sourced.” This trend has the potential to turn into a greenwashing tool for the oil and gas industry, paving the way for the continued buildout of gas infrastructure that puts our climate goals out of reach. Recent reports by Earthworks and Oil Change International show that at least one of the largest “certified gas” services has missed major methane pollution events, calling the validity of these monitoring programs into question.
Especially concerning is news that the Department of Energy is considering setting a standard for what constitutes “certified” gas, which would contribute to a false perception that methane gas is “clean,” promote the continued expansion of the polluting gas system and put our climate goals out of reach.
See the press release copied below and some initial coverage of the letter from E&E News, with more to come.
Please help ensure that the DOE does the right thing by sharing the social media posts below or downloading and hosting the creative on your own accounts with the social toolkit! Also consider circulating the public petition to the agency at CertifiedDisasters.com.
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Partner Letter to the Department of Energy and supporting statements from endorsing organizations
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, July 19, 2023
CONTACTS:
Caleb Heeringa – Campaign Director, Gas Leaks
caleb.heeringa@gasleaks.org, (425) 890-9744
Josh Eisenfeld – Campaign & Communications Manager - Corporate Accountability, Earthworks
jeisenfeld@earthworksaction.org, (412) 965-3348
Valentina Stackl, Media Specialist Oil Change International
Valentina@priceofoil.org +1 (734) 276 6260
Coalition demands Biden admin halt involvement in “certified” methane gas schemes
Government standard for “certified” gas would amount to free marketing for fossil fuel industry expansion
Today, a broad coalition of 148 climate and environmental justice organizations called on the Biden administration to abandon efforts to set a standard for what constitutes “certified” or “responsibly sourced” methane gas. Gas Leaks, Earthworks and Oil Change International are also launching the Certified Disasters campaign to allow the public to weigh in against “certified” gas, a corporate greenwashing strategy that enables the expansion of fossil fuels.
For more information, see:
The full letter sent today to the Department of Energy, signed by 148 organizations, including the Sierra Club, National Resources Defense Council and the Center for International Environmental Law. Click here for accompanying quotes from participating organizations.
The public Certified Disasters campaign and petition to the Biden administration at CertifiedDisasters.com.
Background:
Recent attention on methane pollution from the oil and gas industry has led to a proliferation of third-party companies that claim to monitor gas extraction sites for methane and “certify” that they are limiting pollution. But there is no industry standard for what level of emissions reductions make gas “responsibly sourced,” and no reliable way to measure emissions at their source. Recent investigations by Earthworks and Oil Change International show that one of the largest gas certifiers has routinely missed major methane pollution events, raising serious questions about the validity of these programs.
Recent reporting suggests that the Department of Energy is considering weighing in to set a standard, which would lend legitimacy to the concept of “certified” gas and allow the oil and gas industry to present their product to the public as “clean.”
Industry giants like bp and local gas utilities across the country are already marketing their use of “certified” gas and often charging their customers a premium. The industry is using the concept to justify the continued expansion of fracking, gas pipelines, buildings with gas appliances and gas export facilities that pollute the air and water in communities of color on the Gulf Coast - the very same environmental justice communities that the Biden Administration publicly claims to be protecting. Climate scientists and energy experts like the International Energy Agency agree that avoiding the worst climate outcomes means halting the expansion of methane gas, including no new extraction as of 2021 and no new gas appliances sold by 2025.
“‘Natural’ gas isn’t clean, it’s planet-warming methane, and there’s no way we can avoid the worst climate outcomes without transitioning off of it,” said Caleb Heeringa, Campaign Director of Gas Leaks. “’Certified’ gas is the latest fossil fuel industry marketing tactic to mislead the public about the extent of their methane pollution problem and keep the world dependent on their polluting product for decades to come. The Biden Administration shouldn’t lend legitimacy to this industry PR stunt by endorsing the concept of ‘responsibly sourced’ gas.”
“Clean gas is a myth–any continued gas production presents a harm to human health and to an already accelerating climate crisis.” said Lauren Pagel, Policy Director for Earthworks. “The Biden Administration should not create a new set of standards that incentivizes the fossil fuel industry to expand production and delay a promised and urgent transition to clean energy. Human health, and particularly the well-being of those on the front lines of fossil fuel production and extraction, can’t continue to be sacrificed to line the pockets of an industry already making record-breaking profits.”
“The Department of Energy has long been a cheerleader for America’s dirty gas industry,” said Lorne Stockman, Research Co-Director for Oil Change International. “Its participation in the industry’s latest effort to greenwash fossil gas would be true to form. But the climate crisis is upon us, and Americans are paying the price daily for the oil and gas industry’s greed. It’s clear that the most effective way to reduce methane emissions is to reduce methane gas production. The Department must reject any role in gas certification and turn its attention to a managed decline of fossil fuels and a just transition to clean energy.”
Click here for additional statements from organizations that signed on to the letter to the Department of Energy on “certified” gas.--