Two female employees inspecting a well with an infra-red camera to detect any dangerous gases or leaks.

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.

A worker inspects an electric actuator, introduced to reduce methane emissions, at Shell Canada’s Groundbirch natural gas project.
A worker inspects an electric actuator, introduced to reduce methane emissions, at Shell Canada’s Groundbirch natural gas project.

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.

Read about how Shell is tackling methane emissions here

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.

Read about Shell’s flaring commitment here

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.

Read the policy recommendations here

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