Methane Emissions Accounting: How Interpretations of Standards Drive Divergent Results скачать в хорошем качестве

Methane Emissions Accounting: How Interpretations of Standards Drive Divergent Results

Accurate and transparent methane emissions accounting is a growing priority for regulators, investors, and industry stakeholders. To meet these expectations, numerous frameworks and standards have emerged to guide measurement-informed inventories (MIIs), including OGMP 2.0, Veritas, MiQ, and various regulations. While these frameworks aim to provide consistency and comparability, our research highlights that subtle differences in implementation choices can significantly impact reported emissions. This presentation explores the effects of key methodological assumptions in MII development. Using real data, we demonstrate how framework-compliant inventories can yield divergent results depending on how source categories are mapped, how uncertainty is quantified, and how extrapolation from snapshot measurements to annual totals is conducted. We analyze how these methodological choices influence inventory outputs and discuss best practices for harmonizing MIIs across regulatory and voluntary frameworks. Our findings underscore the need for rigorous, auditable, and scalable approaches to reconciliation, ensuring that MIIs not only comply with multiple frameworks but also provide meaningful and actionable insights. By illuminating the impact of hidden assumptions, we contribute to ongoing efforts to standardize emissions reporting and drive more effective methane mitigation strategies. Jeff Rutherford, Director of Research and Development (Ph.D.) is an expert in greenhouse gas simulation, inventory development, and technology assessment. At Highwood, Jeff is responsible for ensuring that Highwood’s products and services remain on the cutting edge of scientific insight and innovation in GHG emissions management. He completed a Ph.D. at Stanford University in the Environmental Assessment and Optimization research group, and is an engineer by training with a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta. Jeff has presented his work on controlled release testing and bottom-up simulation of methane emissions inventories to U.S. state and national regulators and his work is cited in Environmental Protection Agency rulemaking. From 2017 to 2022, Jeff also contributed to the management and development of the open-source Oil Production and Greenhouse Gas Estimator, both in support of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard and helping oil producers reduce emissions.