EXXON OUTLINES ITS STEPS TO REDUCE HARMFUL METHANE EMISSIONS

Exxon Mobil outlined how it is reducing the methane its operations release into the atmosphere, detailing its efforts as governments around the globe write new rules to regulate the harmful greenhouse gas.

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The oil and gas giant is seeking to influence the way those rules are written, hoping companies and regulators adopt the procedures Exxon says helped reduce methane emissions by 20% in some of its U.S. drilling operations over the past two years.

“Our industry has developed high-tech advances to curb emissions, and we also hope this framework will be helpful for governments as they develop new regulations,” said Darren Woods, chairman and CEO of Exxon, in a statement accompanying a document outlining Exxon’s procedures for reducing methane emissions.

Some environmental advocates see Exxon’s move as a rebuke of President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency, which in August proposed relaxing regulations on methane emissions. But they also said Exxon needs to be much more aggressive in its efforts to curtail global warming.

“The steps Exxon Mobil has taken and the commitments the company announced are nowhere near sufficient to get us there,” said Kathy Mulvey, accountability campaign director at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “We need to see much more ambitious and urgent actions taken by companies like Exxon Mobil.”