C.D. Howe Institute, Johns Hopkins SAIS expert develop methane emissions tracking report

MEDIA ADVISORY
 
Methane packs a powerful punch with up to 36 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide over a 100-year time frame. However, scientists have not reached consensus on how much methane escapes from leaky oil and gas infrastructure in Canada and across North America.
 
Sarah Jordaan, Assistant Professor of Energy, Resources and Environment at Johns Hopkins SAIS, and Kate Konschnik, Director of the Climate & Energy Program, Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University, developed a C.D. Howe Institute report titled “Measuring and Managing the Unknown: Methane Emissions from the Oil and Gas Value Chain” found that an innovative approach is needed for tracking and reducing methane emissions from oil and gas operations.
 
The report advises the following: 

• What gets measured gets managed. Alongside direct measurement, decision-makers should develop methods that better estimate all infrastructure leaks, using measurements to validate results.
• Innovation in tandem by universities, industry and governments. Innovation can result in creative new ways to measure fugitive emissions, to stop their escape and to produce natural gas. Universities, businesses and governments should seek to promote innovation by all actors in solving the challenge of fugitive emissions.
• Regulatory benchmarking and alignment. Canadian governments may seek to meet or exceed best-in-class regulations that have been implemented in other regions.
• Integration of policy and regulation with robust science. Policymakers should not stall progress in regulations due to current gaps in measurement. The authors’ science-policy framework demonstrates how regulations can be refined with ongoing advances in measurement and mitigation technologies.

 Read more: https://www.cdhowe.org/public-policy-research/measuring-and-managing-unknown-methane-emissions-oil-and-gas-value-chain
 
Media Contacts
Laura Bouchard
C.D. Howe Institute
+1 (416) 865-9935
[email protected]
 
Jason Lucas
Johns Hopkins SAIS
+1 (202) 663-5620 office
+1 (202) 422-2652 mobile
[email protected]
 
 
 
About C.D. Howe Institute
The C.D. Howe Institute is an independent not-for-profit research institute whose mission is to raise living standards by fostering economically sound public policies. Widely considered to be Canada's most influential think tank, the Institute is a trusted source of essential policy intelligence, distinguished by research that is nonpartisan, evidence-based and subject to definitive expert review.
 
About Johns Hopkins SAIS
A division of Johns Hopkins University, the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is a global institution that offers students an international perspective on today's critical issues. For 75 years, Johns Hopkins SAIS has produced great leaders, thinkers, and practitioners of international relations. Public leaders and private sector executives alike seek the counsel of the faculty, whose ideas and research inform and shape policy. Johns Hopkins SAIS offers a global perspective across three campus locations: Bologna, Italy; Nanjing, China; and Washington, D.C. The school's interdisciplinary curriculum is strongly rooted in the study of international economics, international relations, and regional studies, preparing students to address multifaceted challenges in the world today.
 
For more information, visit sais-jhu.edu or @SAISHopkins
 
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