US Methane emissions regulations | Robert L. Kleinberg, Boston / Columbia University

According to the IEA, an average of 1.7% of total gas production is leaked into the atmosphere before it reaches the consumers. The phenomenon constitutes both a serious climate threat and an economic loss. In 2016, US EPA adopted new rules aimed at reducing methane emissions in the oil and gas sector. The rules include standards for periodic monitoring of possible leakage. In this podcast, Maria Olczak (FSR) and Robert L. Kleinberg, PhD (Senior Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University and the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Boston University) discuss the consequences of the revision of the 2016 Obama-era methane regulations initiated by President Trump. Thanks to this podcast, you will learn: • what is the current state of the US regulations targeting methane leaks • how the industry responded to the rollback of 2016 regulations • why restoring 2016 Obama administration rules would be a mistake • what are the Methane Guiding Principles and OGCI • how to enable the use of new and emerging technologies to reduce methane leaks • the main takeaways of the US experience for the EU policy-makers This podcast was recorded on 10th January 2020 at the Workshop on Methane Emissions Reduction organised by the European Commission in Berlin.