Super Pollutants

CATF advocates for super pollutant emissions reductions in the U.S. and internationally by supporting scientific research, promoting policy initiatives, encouraging the development of financial incentives for pollution controls, and championing and defending standards that can dramatically reduce emissions of these climate super pollutants.

The Latest in Super Pollutants

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Super Pollutants

Methane’s Moment: A Global Alliance for Deep Reductions in Methane Pollution from the Oil and Gas Sector

Until about two years ago, the oil and gas methane pollution corner of the climate world was fairly quiet. CATF had been working on methane and other super pollutants like black carbon since the first scientific recognition of the dangers of short-lived climate pollutants (aka super pollutants) back in the early 2000s. But in 2016,

June 17, 2019 Super Pollutants

The American Opportunity: How the Americas Are Kick-Starting Climate Action

Mexico, California, Colorado, Canada, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Ohio, Utah, British Columbia, Wyoming. What do all of these places have in common?

May 13, 2019 Super Pollutants

Methane Waste Prevention Rule: Not Dead Yet

BLM’s Methane Waste Prevention Rule still has life. That is the takeaway from the new judgement by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit – and it’s good news for those who care about the waste of our nation’s precious resources (they belong to all of us), and about the climate.

April 9, 2019 Super Pollutants

Where There’s A will: There’s an Opportunity for a Big Step Forward on Climate

We often say at Clean Air Task Force that we are a small organization that punches above its weight. To do this, we constantly fine-tune the focus of our work on global warming, to ensure that we concentrate our efforts on the solutions that will make the most difference, and in the places where they […]

April 5, 2019 News & Media

“EPA, Are You Listening?”

In response to Shell and ExxonMobil’s methane announcements at CERA Week, Sarah Smith, CATF Program Director, Super Pollutants, said: “It’s not every day that two major oil and gas producers call for tighter climate protections, but that’s what Royal Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil did today. The companies called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to […]

March 12, 2019 Super Pollutants

“How Does Natural Gas Production Contribute to Ozone Pollution?”: A Podcast with The Endocrine Disruption Exchange

Lesley Fleischman, Senior Analyst with Clean Air Task Force, answers the question “How does natural gas production contribute to ozone pollution?” In an interview with Carol Kwiatkowski, Executive Director of The Endocrine Disruption Exchange (TEDX), Lesley explains how ozone is formed due to venting and leaking of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the entire natural […]

February 21, 2019

Our Efforts

CATF’s super pollutant initiatives are aimed at reducing pollutants that will have the greatest impact on warming the planet over the near term and offer the most promising targets for immediate cleanup. Taken together, efforts to reduce super pollutants globally could prevent more than half a degree C of warming along with numerous other public health and ecological benefits. CATF’s efforts target two of the most concerning short-lived climate pollutants, methane and black carbon. Because these pollutants have a much shorter atmospheric lifespan than CO₂, significant cuts in their emissions will yield much faster reductions in planetary warming, as compared to reductions in CO₂.

CATF is actively advocating for super pollutant emission reductions in international and domestic venues, supporting scientific research, promoting policy initiatives, encouraging the development of financial incentives for pollution controls, and championing and defending standards that can dramatically reduce emissions of these significant climate pollutants. CATF is currently focused on reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector and black carbon emissions from oil and gas flaring and the shipping industry as these offer the most promising targets for immediate cleanup through low-cost solutions and readily implementable policy changes.

Our Goal

Catalyze deep, global reductions in methane and black carbon emissions to help stave off the risk of irreversible changes to our climate.

Our Impact In

Scope of Work
Achievements

Scope of Work

Research & Analysis: CATF investigates and reports on the negative health and environmental impacts of super pollutants. CATF also evaluates available emission control technologies and techniques to formulate best practices for controlling emissions.

Policy Advocacy: CATF works to develop and implement policy and regulatory solutions for cutting super pollutant emissions that can be applied both in the U.S. as well as internationally. CATF’s main focus is on the oil and gas sector as there is potential for significant reductions in emissions by implementing policies that are based on common sense practices and low cost emission control measures.

Education & Outreach: CATF plays a lead role in several coalitions focused on super pollutant emission cuts, engaging in public education and stakeholder outreach. CATF leads workshops and events to educate other NGOs, governing bodies, industry leaders, and other key allies around the world on the impacts of super pollutants and the best policies and practices for reducing emissions.

Litigation: CATF attorneys represent other NGO client organizations in judicial proceedings and CATF provides expert legal and technical input to the U.S. EPA, Bureau of Land Management, and other regulatory bodies on their super pollutant policies.

Achievements

Moved black carbon and methane into mainstream of global environmental campaigning.
Helped enact first-ever emission standards on ocean-going ships at the International Maritime Organization.
Spurred creation of the global Climate & Clean Air Coalition to drive national action and provide technical assistance for key super pollutant emission reductions.
Put super pollutant emission reductions at the center of climate discussions at the Arctic Council.
Launched and led an eight-year U.S. Diesel Clean-Up Campaign resulting in many state and federal initiatives including emission limits and over $2 billion in funding that today is substantially reducing U.S. diesel emissions.
Catalyzed formation of the U.S. Methane Partners Campaign in 2014, which secured first-ever U.S. federal methane pollution standards for the oil and gas industry in 2016.
Helped successfully defend EPA’s methane rule from all attacks to date by the current administration.
Supported adoption of strong, nationwide oil and gas methane standards in Mexico and Canada.
CATF has been asked to work with five additional nations on oil and gas methane reduction strategies and regulations.

Project
U.S. Oil and Gas

Emissions from fossil fuel production and transport — especially methane released from oil and gas wells and the processing and transport of natural gas — account for a great deal of climate-warming pollution. Oil and gas companies also leak, flare, and vent billions of dollars’ worth of natural gas, containing methane, in the U.S. every year. CATF has advocated that the U.S. EPA and Department of the Interior require common sense and low-cost measures to reduce methane pollution and waste.

Learn more about our U.S. oil and gas work
Project
International Oil and Gas

CATF’s global methane work seeks to significantly slash as well as prevent increases in methane emissions from oil and gas development. In countries where development is likely to begin or expand, CATF aims to ensure that environmental impacts are minimized through the application of modern technologies and practices and the regulatory knowledge developed over the last 20 years. CATF’s current international work focuses on three key areas where significant progress can be made in preventing and reducing emissions: Canada, Mexico, and South America. In addition, CATF is working with the Arctic Council, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, and other international bodies to make methane emission reductions a focus of their work.

Learn more about our international oil and gas work

Project
Other Sources of Methane

While the oil and gas industry is the number one industrial source of methane pollution, reductions in other sectors are not only economically justified but absolutely necessary to realize necessary emission reductions. Substantial emissions also come from dams, coal mining operations, landfills, wastewater treatment, and manure management operations. CATF has worked to develop an understanding of methane emissions from these other sources including technologies and best practices and the barriers to using them, and we work to develop and implement policy and regulatory solutions that can be applied both in the U.S. as well as internationally.

Learn more about other sources of methane
Project
Shipping

Currently, CATF is working to reduce black carbon emissions from the shipping sector and is committed to securing a legally binding phase out of the use of heavy fuel oil (HFO) in Arctic waters. This effort is particularly critical given the rapid rate of warming in the Arctic and the numerous threats that the use of HFO as bunker fuel poses to the Arctic region.

Learn more about our shipping work