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@UMWomen asks @Chevron to #CutMethane—Third Call to Action

Add your voice to the call for Chevron to lead the industry in minimizing emissions! - Third Action

Natural gas has been marketed as the clean energy alternative, but it leaks methane and toxic pollutants throughout the supply chain.

“The adverse impacts of global climate change disproportionately affect individuals and nations least responsible for the emissions. We therefore support efforts of all governments to require mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and call on individuals, congregations, businesses, industries, and communities to reduce their emission.”—United Methodist Church Social Principles, 2016 General Conference

Why Methane Matters – Methane and its Toxic Pollutants:

Sicken God's Earth: Methane, the primary component of natural gas, is 87 times more potent than carbon dioxide in trapping heat over a 20-year time frame.
Sicken God's People: Toxins, which leak alongside methane, jeopardize more than 15 million people living near these emissions leaked by oil and gas companies. The toxins—including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter and radon—can cause respiratory diseases, asthma attacks, adverse birth outcomes, heart attacks, increased hospitalizations, reproductive problems, blood disorders, neurological problems, cancer, and contribute to climate change, which further impacts health.
Waste God's Resources: Natural gas leaks exist at a higher rate than previously calculated through the supply chain, from extraction to end-user consumption. Globally, oil and gas companies leak and vent an estimated $30 billion of methane per year into the atmosphere.
Solutions Already Exist: Commonsense and reasonably priced solutions exist to detect and repair leaks, but only a handful of oil and gas companies have taken strides in implementing them. Methane emissions from the oil and gas value chain are among the cheapest to abate of all human-made emissions: The global oil and gas industry could reduce up to 75 percent of methane emissions by using existing technologies. Between 40-50 percent of those emissions could be reduced with a net zero cost. By 2100, this action would have the equivalent impact of shutting down all existing coal-fired power plants in China today. A cleaner alternative to natural gas is already in se: Renewable energy produces little to no greenhouse gas emissions and over 100 cities worldwide are powered primarily by renewable energy.

Our Ask to Chevron

Use direct measurements – not estimates – to determine actual methane emissions and credibly report on methane targets. Today, Chevron relies on emissions factors to calculate its emissions inventory. These emissions factors are desktop calculations that are not based on real field measurement of Chevron operations, but instead generic estimates on equipment leakage. However, recent science studies have shown that actual methane emissions may be up to 60 percent higher than what is estimated by these emissions factors. To ensure the public that the company is truly achieving reductions of this harmful pollutant and is progressing on its methane target, Chevron needs to use direct measurement to inform its emissions calculations, and report that methodology publicly.
Voice public support for direct regulation of oil and gas methane emissions, particularly in regard to the EPA’s current and anticipated rollbacks. We are deeply concerned that Chevron requested rollbacks of methane regulations. Weakening or eliminating these standards means releasing more pollution into our air and putting the health of people who live and work near these facilities at risk. In fact, a March infrared recording of a Chevron facility in New Mexico shows that methane leaks continue to exist. Chevron’s opposition to commonsense methane regulation is increasingly notable, as industry peers like BP, Exxon and Shell have already made strong public statements supporting direct regulation of methane. We once again urge Chevron to follow that leadership example, and advocate for direct methane regulation.
Stop the development of new natural gas assets and invest in clean renewable energy sources that adhere to the principles of free, prior and informed consent. The IPCC 1.5C report noted that our world must drastically reduce carbon emissions by 45 percent by 2030 and to net-zero emissions by 2050. While reducing methane emissions is one step, we urge Chevron to be an industry leader in transitioning our energy sources to be fueled by clean renewable energy.

Take Action

Protect God’s people and creation: Join @UMWomen and Tell @Chevron to #CutMethane

For a PDF of the letter please e-mail ClimateJustice@unitedmethodistwomen.org

Posted or updated: 4/19/2019 12:00:00 AM

Video of the Chevron Hayhurst Well Site in New Mexico, showing odorless methane leaks not visible to the human eye.

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"Inaction is not an option this Earth Day" – Read the opinion piece by United Methodist Women climate justice lead Elizabeth Lee on thehill.com.

Our Focus on Chevron
Chevron Corporation is the second biggest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world. Chevron’s footprint is massive, and its methane emissions are impacting people across the globe. Chevron is one of the top 10 producers of natural gas globally, and its production is only increasing. In the U.S. alone, Chevron is planning to increase its oil and gas production from 650,000 to 900,000 barrels a day by 2023. Its operations are in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and California. Chevron operations internationally exist in Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, Eurasia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Whether in the U.S. or around the world, the lives of pregnant women, children, communities of color and vulnerable communities are disproportionately at risk. Chevron also opposes current common-sense federal methane regulations. This is notable, as industry peers like Shell, BP, Exxon and Equinor have already made strong public statements supporting direct regulation of methane.

Our Work So Far
In May 2018 we delivered over 1,800 letters to Chevron and met with Chevron’s staff, urging Chevron to reduce methane emissions, sign onto the “Reducing Methane Emissions Across the Natural Gas Value Chain” Guiding Principles” and direct more capital allocations to renewable energy. Since December we sent over a thousand additional follow up letters, urging Chevron to oppose the Environmental Protection Agency’s current proposal to dismantle U.S. federal methane regulations. Since that initial May meeting, Chevron has:

Signed on to the “Reducing Methane Emissions Across the Natural Gas Value Chain” Guiding Principles.
Joined its peers in setting methane reduction targets.
Recently wrote back to United Methodist Women noting that Chevron has set a methane target that is linked to executive compensation, taking measures to reduce emissions through monitoring. Notable in its response was the lack of response to our request that Chevron support common-sense methane regulations.