Climate Change Accountability: GIJN’s Guide to Investigating Methane

[printfriendly] Climate scientists have identified reducing methane emissions as the single fastest way to fight climate change. Emissions of methane, the second most abundant greenhouse gas — behind carbon dioxide — are rising rapidly and reaching new highs. Methane’s “global warming potential,” according to the United Nations Environment Programme, over the short-term is 84-86 times […]

[printfriendly] There is wide agreement among scientists that methane emissions are routinely undercounted or overlooked. This makes measurement itself an important subject for reporting. Having accurate emission figures is critical to policy discussions on where and how to achieve reductions. But despite the debate over the precise numbers, climate scientists broadly agree on one critical […]

[printfriendly] Thanks to new technologies, the direct sources of methane emissions — particularly natural gas and oil production — now can be exposed, a difficult but crucial first step in holding emitters accountable. At the moment, these techniques are not easily accessible to journalists, but collaborative possibilities exist. And, fortunately, more options are becoming available. […]

Many companies are far from transparent about their methane emissions, but they are under increasing pressure to disclose more and emit less. The rising expectations should prompt journalists, including business journalists, to ask more questions. Even before addressing the adequacy of pledges, it’s necessary to understand what corporations are saying, which turns out to be […]

In advance of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland in November 2021, many countries made promises to reduce their methane emissions. For example, Nigeria committed to ending emissions from gas flaring by 2030 in its 2021 climate plan. News coverage of these announcements, like this Climate Change News article, pushed back on […]