National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Environmental Defense Fund has coordinated a set of comprehensive methane measurements in collaboration with hundreds of scientists and dozens of research institutions. This effort has produced a detailed understanding of methane emissions from the US oil and gas supply chain, indicating that US EPA inventories are underestimating emissions by about 60%. A synthesis of these efforts appeared in Science in June 2018 (Alvarez et al.). This effort also highlighted that many sites are emitting very little methane and as such provide clear evidence that existing technology could significantly reduce emissions if deployed effectively. With a focus on producing policy relevant data this six year effort was able to greatly increase our understanding of, and turn a spot light on, the role of methane emissions associated with oil and gas activities. It also provided a clearer picture of the potential for methane emissions mitigation to slow the rate of warming in the near term.