Sometimes the best way to communicate with the public and win points on authenticity is to turn conventional wisdom on its head. And the oil and gas sector should begin owning up to its impact on methane emissions worldwide.  Just before the new year, an industry group announced it had launched a voluntary carbon reduction program – but again, the emphasis was on voluntary.

According to a report from the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), methane disclosure has improved overall, but across the entire industry, reporting is uneven. Four major companies are now reporting quantitative methane targets; five of seven companies that have started this reporting have been targets of methane disclosure shareholder resolutions in recent years; and across the entire industry, 58 percent of energy companies report some measure of public information on their methane emissions.

Environmental groups, including EDF, have long urged companies to urge their methane disclosures, claiming that this potent greenhouse gas is responsible for at least one-quarter of the climate change trends the world is undergoing today. But even if the energy company will continue to blanch at the thought of any regulation – including self-regulation – they should communicate to their stakeholders, and the general public, that they do care about the environment.  EDF has pointed out within the boardroom, energy companies should be taking a second look at their methane disclosure processes because these gas leaks are often detrimental to their bottom line.

Read the full article about disclosing methane emissions by Leon Kaye at TriplePundit.