The following are summary descriptions of actions taken to date by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and its members, as related to the Climate VISION program and GHG emissions intensity reduction, in general. For more complete information, please visit API's website (www.api.org) and view Climate Challenge:A Progress Report and, for the most recent examples, please see Companies Address Climate Change. (Also please browse API member company websites for additional information on company climate change initiatives.)
API Climate Greenhouse Gas Estimation & Reporting Challenge
API has developed and is distributing accurate greenhouse gas emissions estimating tools via its Compendium of GHG Emissions Methodologies for the Oil and Gas Industry (PDF 14.6 MB). The Compendium implements more robust methods for calculating, reporting, and tracking emissions industry-wide. API is working to get its Compendium adopted worldwide by member companies. As the primary trade association of the industry, API represents about 400 members involved in all aspects of the oil and natural gas industry. Download Acrobat Reader
API Climate Action Challenge
The API Climate Action Challenge focuses on strategies for reducing emissions. Under the Climate Action Challenge, member companies are reducing, sequestering, offsetting, or avoiding their greenhouse gas emissions and are integrating greenhouse gas considerations into operating and capital equipment decision-making. Additionally, API member refineries are making progress toward the goal of improving their energy efficiency by 10 percent by 2012. In 2006, for example, improvements in energy efficiency at API member refineries - compared to the technology used in 2002 - produced energy savings equivalent to taking more than 528,000 cars of the road, or savings equivalent to the electricity used by more than 950,000 homes.
API and IPIECA (International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association) have produced two sets of guidelines to help oil and natural gas companies reduce emissions. The first provides information to help companies evaluate options for reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and registering project-level GHG emission reductions. The second provides information on carbon capture and storage projects. In both cases, the guidance focuses on the technical aspects of reducing GHG emissions separate from policy considerations.
API Climate R&D Challenge
Companies participating in the API Climate R&D Challenge have pledged to integrate climate and greenhouse gas considerations into their R&D decision-making process to impact the trend in the GHG intensity of operations over the long-term. Current areas of effort include energy efficiency, alternative technologies, and carbon capture and sequestration technologies.
Many U.S. oil and natural gas companies are supporting important climate change research programs and promoting the development of technologies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Below are examples of their efforts:
ExxonMobil has pledged to invest up to $100 million in support on the Global Climate & Energy Project at Stanford University.
BP is involved in partnerships to identify the strategies and technologies needed for lower carbon and renewable energy sources and mitigation of greenhouse gas emission impacts from fossil fuels, including a partnership with the University of California at Berkeley with a pledged investment of $500 million.
ChevronTexaco, Shell, and other energy companies are investing in additional climate change research and new technology projects to reduce the buildup of greenhouse gases.
Conferences Explore New Technologies
API is bringing key elements of industry together to speed exchange of information on successful strategies for estimating GHG emissions, using new technology to reduce emissions, and sharing progress in research and development programs. The API Voluntary Actions Conferences provide a good example of information exchange that has encouraged progress addressing climate change.
Page Last Modified: August 7, 2008
