The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) issued its inaugural Climate Report on November 2, 2021. The report demonstrates INGAA member company commitments toward addressing climate change and builds on INGAA’s 2021 Climate Statement issued earlier this year, which includes a set of commitments towards achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from natural gas transmission and storage by 2050. The 2021 Climate Report also augments the adopted Methane-Specific Commitments approved by the INGAA Board in 2018 by expanding the scope of focus beyond methane emissions.
The 2021 Climate Report covers a variety of topics including industry progress on reducing emissions, methane emissions reporting, and how INGAA has worked with the Natural Gas Sustainability Initiative to develop an industry-wide approach to calculate the intensity of individual company methane emissions. The report also highlights INGAA’s partnership with the Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI), which aims to advance collaborative research of innovative technologies and practices to enhance safety and minimize emissions within the pipeline industry. There are several key areas in which INGAA members and PRCI are partnering, one of which includes the PRCI GHG Emissions Reduction Strategic Research Priority. This three-year, $4 million initiative will explore such things as analytic tools and data analysis; fugitive emissions/leak detection surveys and mitigation; leak detection and quantification; incomplete combustion from reciprocating engines (methane slip); blowdown reduction through capture, recovery, and flaring; and efficiency improvements.
Finally, nearly half of the report is dedicated to summarizing member-specific targets and initiatives under the following categories:
- reducing methane and carbon dioxide emissions from operations;
- renewable natural gas;
- hydrogen;
- carbon capture, utilization, and storage; and
- additional initiatives (such as the use of solar power and wind-generated electricity).
The 2021 Climate Report is a comprehensive summary of initiatives and activities being undertaken by the industry. In announcing this report, INGAA’s President and CEO stated, “This report will be the first of many, demonstrating our commitment to transparently communicate our efforts to address the challenge of global climate change. INGAA members are committed to reducing emissions while providing clean, reliable, and affordable energy to all Americans.”