
Methane emissions
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas. When it is released into the atmosphere it has a much higher global warming impact than CO2. Natural gas consists mainly of methane.

Tackling methane emissions
Efforts to address climate change therefore require the industry to reduce both deliberate and unintended methane emissions from production to the final consumer. It is important that the gas industry continues to monitor and reduce methane emissions. This includes wider implementation of leak detection and repair programmes which use infrared cameras.
Zero routine flaring by 2025
Shell has committed to bringing forward the target to eliminate routine gas flaring from its Upstream operated assets from 2030 to 2025. We also set a new 2030 target to halve the absolute emissions from our operations, compared to 2016 levels on a net basis.
European Union policy recommendations
In May 2020, Shell – alongside, BP, the Environmental Defense Fund, Eni, Equinor, the Florence School of Regulation, Repsol, the Rocky Mountain Institute, Total and Wintershall Dea – shared recommendations with the European Commission, proposing policies to reduce emissions of methane from the oil and gas industry.
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