As LNG suppliers come under mounting pressure from investors and environmental groups to cut greenhouse gas emissions,Royal Dutch Shell's gas chief has a stark warning for the industry.Focusing on decarbonization is not enough-suppliers also need to act on methane emissions,Maarten Wetselaar says.With the energy transition accelerating,gas'place in the future energy mix is"up for grabs,"he told the online IP Week conference last week."And if the gas industry does not address methane performance,it won't have such a place."Methane is the primary component of natural gas.Shorter lived than carbon dioxide,it is far more potent.The industry bases its transition case on the fact gas can displace dirtier coal in power plants.But environmental activists accuse producers of underestimating methane leaks along the supply chain.According to the US Natural Resources Defense Council,gas emissions from US LNG are lower than coal over 100 years,but methane's more immediate impact means its climate effect over the next 20 years is"close to that of coal."Such concerns prompted French utility Engie last November to pull out of an LNG deal with US developer NextDecade(WGI Nov.11'20).
展开▼
