Blog Posts: natural gas

While the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily halted implementation of the Clean Power Plan (CPP), it’s in states’ own best interests to continue moving forward with compliance. New analysis finds Illinois can get 75 percent of the way to its CPP emissions-reduction target just through its existing clean energy policies and opportunities.

A new U.S.-Canada joint will cut methane emissions from oil and gas systems by 40-45 percent below 2012 levels by 2025. It's a big step toward meeting both countries' climate goals—methane is a greenhouse gas 34 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

New WRI research highlights cost-effective steps states can take to rein in methane emissions—and why it’s in their best interest to do so.

Alda Salomao is the director general of Centro Terra Viva, an organization working to secure community land rights in Mozambique. In an interview with WRI's Celine Salcedo-La Viña, she describes the tension between communities in the Afungi Peninsula and a natural gas project.

President Obama reiterated his commitment to combating climate change during this week's State of the Union address.

Mitigating these impacts means turning the many climate commitments of 2014 into tangible action in 2015.

A new WRI study finds that there are many win-win opportunities for the United States to reduce emissions and save money for consumers and businesses. Our blog series, Lower Emissions, Brighter Economy, evaluates these opportunities across five key areas—power generation, electricity consumption, passenger vehicles, natural gas systems and hydrofluorocarbons (coming soon) —which together represent 55 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

Satellite measurements have shown evidence that methane emissions from U.S. natural gas production are likely a much larger problem than the EPA or the oil and gas industry acknowledges.

Later this week, the European Council will decide on a target to further reduce the EU’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030.

At issue is whether the Council will decide to reduce emissions by “at least 40 percent” from 1990 levels—leaving the door open to increase ambition in negotiation with other countries—or cap reductions at just 40 percent, locking in a lower goal and possibly influencing other countries to do the same.

A new report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Getting Energy Prices Right: From Principle to Practice, argues that the costs of coal, natural gas, gasoline, and diesel fail to account for these fuels’ environmental and social impacts—such as greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and traffic deaths.

Setting prices that reflect these side effects—through taxes, licensing, or cap-and-trade systems—could reduce deaths from fossil fuel-related air pollution by 63 percent, decrease global carbon dioxide emissions by 23 percent, and generate revenues totaling about 2.6 percent of global GDP.

When President Obama addresses the nation later today, climate change is expected to be featured. The president recently said that one of his personal passions is “leaving a planet that is as spectacular as the one we inherited from our parents and our grandparents.” The next two years will determine if his administration can meet this standard.