Published by Oil Change International and Greenpeace USA
August 2022
As American gas producers work to cash-in on Europe’s energy crisis, they are seeking to greenwash U.S. gas exports using various methane gas “certification” schemes. The latest example is Cheniere Energy’s cargo emissions tags, which the company last week revealed it has started providing to its customers since June. Our new report finds that Cheniere’s new lifecycle emissions tags appear to be pinned to a misleading methane emissions analysis that woefully undercounts actual leakage volumes.
Despite a lack of transparency and oversight, foreign energy buyers like France’s Engie and ESG investors like Japan’s SMBC are already acting on the assumption that Cheniere is implementing an effective emissions program. This report demonstrates the infirmities associated with Cheniere’s flawed methodology and its latest public relations campaign.
Key Points:
- Cheniere’s emissions estimates substantially underestimate methane emissions from the fossil fuel industry. These estimates would be higher for plants receiving feedgas from the Permian Basin, which has one of the worst methane emissions rates in the country.
- When accurate emissions data, incorporating high-emissions events, are used, full lifecycle emissions increase dramatically.
- Cheniere claims its methodology is “supplier-specific”, but 42% of the gas supply assessed in the paper is pooled gas for which no supplier-specific data exists.
- Cargo emissions tags do nothing to alleviate the burdens the gas industry imposes on frontline communities. To the contrary, Cheniere is simultaneously seeking an exemption from the Biden administration to dump greater amounts of health-damaging air pollution in local communities.
Clean up the Industry, please!
Emissions are dangerous and harmful! I will accept absolutely NO EMISSIONS of any kind!
The following is a “rant” I just emailed to Friends of the Earth. Much of the content is applicable to your organization as well:
I am a totally committed environmentalist who tries to set a lifestyle model for the universal personal sacrifice that is direly needed to (even) begin to “make a dent” in the environment-destroying “human” legacy of the (especially) past ? 150 years. I applaud your emails, and poignant appeals and, with hope, sign each one of your petitions. However, I find that your good efforts and intentions (despite your relatively small size and disunion from like causes) are gravely undermined by separatism: that is, you (+ the many other noble causes) apparently, fail to realize that your/our environmental remediation cause(s) could become an irresistible juggernaut were you/we to join with the myriad other similar/related causes–forming one single mega-organization. To such a single-minded/purpose group, many people (including me) would be far more likely to donate large amounts of their resources toward relevant goals and objectives. This splintered (among multiple causes) approach is clearly not faring well as to the above stated goals and issues including, but not limited to: definitively ending the use of fossil fuels, petrochemicals, and the murderous, ubiquitous plastics, the rescue of habitat and the rapidly failing animal and plant species eco-support system and, especially, the curtailment of most human activity, namely moratoria on birth, travel, material consumption, industrial production, AND the fostering of a simpler, localized lifestyle for the bulk of humankind–for the duration. Thank you for your consideration. br Member of the General Public
Cheniere’s emissions estimates substantially underestimate methane emissions from the fossil fuel industry. These estimates would be higher for plants receiving feedgas from the Permian Basin, which has one of the worst methane emissions rates in the country.
When accurate emissions data, incorporating high-emissions events, are used, full lifecycle emissions increase dramatically.
Cheniere claims its methodology is “supplier-specific”, but 42% of the gas supply assessed in the paper is pooled gas for which no supplier-specific data exists.
Cargo emissions tags do nothing to alleviate the burdens the gas industry imposes on frontline communities. To the contrary, Cheniere is simultaneously seeking an exemption from the Biden administration to dump greater amounts of health-damaging air pollution in local communities.
Cheniere’s emissions estimates substantially underestimate methane emissions from the fossil fuel industry. These estimates would be higher for plants receiving feedgas from the Permian Basin, which has one of the worst methane emissions rates in the country.
When accurate emissions data, incorporating high-emissions events, are used, full lifecycle emissions increase dramatically.
Cheniere claims its methodology is “supplier-specific”, but 42% of the gas supply assessed in the paper is pooled gas for which no supplier-specific data exists.
Cargo emissions tags do nothing to alleviate the burdens the gas industry imposes on frontline communities. To the contrary, Cheniere is simultaneously seeking an exemption from the Biden administration to dump greater amounts of health-damaging air pollution in local communities.
Natural gas is not a “green” fuel by any stretch of the imagination. We have to commit to using less of any fossil fuels than in the past, as hard as this may be. Fossil Fuel Industry studies are suspect since there is an unavoidable conflict of interest.
It seems to me that we should be writing to the EPA. This e-mail does not seem to be requesting any action.
Keep spreading the word about this misinformation.
Expose the liars save the planet, and our children. thanks for all you are doing.
Frontline communities have long been used and abused both for the production of toxic materials and the dumping of toxic wastes. Cheniere deserves NO exemption in order to dump greater amounts of air, land and water pollutants in local communities. Such an exemption would simply add an additional wrong to these communities.
NOT BUYING the campaign to mislead the world about the methane gas emissions from LNG.
Keep the dinosaur of energy resources stay in the ground with the other dinosaurs!
Keep the dinosaur of energy resources in the ground with the other dinosaurs.
Don’t green wash your carbon and environmental footprint please.
Greenwashing is not acceptable. Honest action is.
Cheniere’s emissions estimates substantially underestimate methane emissions from the fossil fuel industry. These estimates would be higher for plants receiving feedgas from the Permian Basin, which has one of the worst methane emissions rates in the country.
When accurate emissions data, incorporating high-emissions events, are used, full lifecycle emissions increase dramatically.
Cheniere claims its methodology is “supplier-specific”, but 42% of the gas supply assessed in the paper is pooled gas for which no supplier-specific data exists.
Cargo emissions tags do nothing to alleviate the burdens the gas industry imposes on frontline communities. To the contrary, Cheniere is simultaneously seeking an exemption from the Biden administration to dump greater amounts of health-damaging air pollution in local communities.
Cheniere is Greenwashing its LNG With New Cargo Emissions Tags And they must be stopped immediately!
However it is presented gas or any other fossil fuel cannot be part of a rapid move along the path to a climate-friendly future.
Cheniere’s emissions estimates substantially underestimate methane emissions from the fossil fuel industry. These estimates would be higher for plants receiving feedgas from the Permian Basin, which has one of the worst methane emissions rates in the country.
When accurate emissions data, incorporating high-emissions events, are used, full lifecycle emissions increase dramatically.
Cheniere claims its methodology is “supplier-specific”, but 42% of the gas supply assessed in the paper is pooled gas for which no supplier-specific data exists.
Cargo emissions tags do nothing to alleviate the burdens the gas industry imposes on frontline communities. To the contrary, Cheniere is simultaneously seeking an exemption from the Biden administration to dump greater amounts of health-damaging air pollution in local communities.
End fossil fuels.
All countries must move to sustainable energy production.
Cheniere’s emissions estimates substantially underestimate methane emissions from the fossil fuel industry. These estimates would be higher for plants receiving feedgas from the Permian Basin, which has one of the worst methane emissions rates in the country.
When accurate emissions data, incorporating high-emissions events, are used, full lifecycle emissions increase dramatically.
Cheniere claims its methodology is “supplier-specific”, but 42% of the gas supply assessed in the paper is pooled gas for which no supplier-specific data exists.
Cargo emissions tags do nothing to alleviate the burdens the gas industry imposes on frontline communities. To the contrary, Cheniere is simultaneously seeking an exemption from the Biden administration to dump greater amounts of health-damaging air pollution in local communities.
Let’s read between the lines, act on true data, and keep it in the ground where it can do no climate harm.
There is no method in the madness. Just madness! Just look around you………
Crack down on the fossil fuel industry !
Fossil fuels must remain in the ground if we are to have any chance of moving towards a climate-friendly future.
People who greenwash company data should make sure their family members are exposed to the environments they say are safe.How can they live with themselves.
“END FOSSIL FUELS.” We all no why; the perpetrators and offendors too. No further commentary required
“END FOSSIL FUELS.” We all no why; the perpetrators and offendors too. No further commentary required. If reply looks familiar, that means that other people shar my opinion. Kudos all!
One can not find a foot of soil without a plastic fragment in it.Rivers and lakes are polluted. Foods are polluted.How pathological can humans be? The earth suffers, animals suffer.STOP.Even though it may be too late one should still do the right thing.
It’s a matter of integrity. Couldn’t agree more!
Amazingly incisive and on target. Everyone knows this intuitively. Stop all fossil-fuel, petrochemical exploitation/production immediately!
The people who run the fossil fuel industries do not seem to care now many people are already dying due to climate change (e.g. 120,000 a year just in Pakistan, the last I heard, and many in other countries). They should be exposed as the greedy, soul-less b******s that they are.
Methane should be called what it is – methane. It was nonsense that years ago the energy companies called it “natural” as a marketing ploy to pull the wool over consumers’ eyes. Arsenic is naturally found in nature, but it’s still a poison. Just like asbestos is “natural” but is most harmful to our health. The word “natural” has been played too many times to make bad products sound… well… “natural” – like it’s a good thing.