EPA proposal to repeal greenhouse gas reporting undermines transparency and accountability
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed a proposed rule to suspend all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reporting for the oil and gas sector until 2034. The proposal would also eliminate greenhouse gas reporting requirements entirely for every other industry.
“EPA’s proposal to gut greenhouse gas reporting requirements is reckless and indefensible,” said Conrad Schneider, Senior Director, U.S., at Clean Air Task Force (CATF). “Transparent, accurate reporting is the foundation for effective government—without it, we are flying blind. This move undermines decades of progress and signals a dangerous retreat from accountability for polluters. It even calls into question whether the left hand knows what the right hand is doing as gutting this program undercuts the administration’s priorities such as LNG exports and carbon capture and storage.”
Since its creation, the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) has provided essential transparency into U.S. emissions, allowing regulators, investors, and the public to track year-to-year progress from sources across the economy.
The oil and gas sector—one of the largest sources of methane pollution in the U.S.—has reported emissions across its supply chain, from production basins to LNG export terminals. To comply with reporting requirement, U.S. oil and gas companies have already invested millions of dollars in new systems and technologies to more accurately measure and mitigate methane and carbon dioxide emissions. That progress has not only reduced emissions but also positioned U.S. companies to thrive in an increasingly discerning global energy market where many international buyers—including in Europe, Japan, and Korea—are placing greater value on environmental performance.
“Suspending these requirements ignores the immense progress companies have made in monitoring, measuring, and reducing emissions at a time when the world is moving towards emissions transparency as the key to energy trade. This action would put U.S. producers at a disadvantage,” said Jonathan Banks, Global Director for Methane Pollution Prevention at CATF. “If the GHGRP data isn’t available, companies will need to develop other ways to transparently demonstrate the environmental attributes of their fuels in a way that distinguishes the high emitters from the low if they are to be part of the global energy market.”
“Developers need the greenhouse gas reporting requirements to claim tax credits that support carbon capture projects in refining, chemicals, power, and cement,” said John Thompson, Technology and Markets Director at CATF. “Without the reporting program, billions of dollars of private investment and hundreds of projects will face immense risk. This is also true for hydrogen projects with natural gas and carbon capture, where access to economical levels of the 45V tax credit hinges on robust emissions data. Repealing GHGRP would undermine confidence in project eligibility and stall clean hydrogen deployment.”
CATF will continue working with policymakers, regulators, and stakeholders in the U.S. and abroad to defend transparent reporting of methane, carbon dioxide, and other greenhouse gases, and to push back against efforts to weaken essential climate safeguards.
Press Contact
Samantha Sadowski, Senior Communications Manager, U.S., ssadowski@catf.us, +1 202-440-1717
About Clean Air Task Force
Clean Air Task Force (CATF) is a global nonprofit organization working to safeguard against the worst impacts of climate change by catalyzing the rapid development and deployment of low-carbon energy and other climate-protecting technologies. With more than 25 years of internationally recognized expertise on climate policy and a fierce commitment to exploring all potential solutions, CATF is a pragmatic, non-ideological advocacy group with the bold ideas needed to address climate change. CATF has offices in Boston, Washington D.C., and Brussels, with staff working virtually around the world. Visit catf.us and follow @cleanaircatf.
