MINES CLIMBS TOGETHER: COVID-19 health and safety resources, updates

Category: Net Zero Emissions

Cheniere Announces Collaboration with Natural Gas Suppliers and Academic Institutions to Quantify, Monitor, Report and Verify GHG Emissions 6/10/2021

Cheniere Announces Collaboration with Natural Gas Suppliers and Academic Institutions to Quantify, Monitor, Report and Verify GHG Emissions

The Payne Institute is a proud partner with Cheniere Energy, Inc. (“Cheniere”) (NYSE American: LNG), the largest producer of liquefied natural gas in the U.S., on a collaboration with five natural gas producers and several leading academic institutions to implement quantification, monitoring, reporting and verification (“QMRV”) of greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions performance at natural gas production sites.  June 10, 2021.  

Tackling Energy Poverty and Climate Change through Sustainable Power Generation in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq 6/9/2021

Tackling Energy Poverty and Climate Change through Sustainable Power Generation in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Payne Institute Fellow Peri-Khan Aqrawi-Whitcomb and Prsha Abubakr Othman write about how the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) continues to tackle a myriad of socio-economic and political issues, intensified by a global crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These socio-economic and political setbacks are amplified by energy poverty and climate change.  June 9, 2021.

India’s Vision for Gas-Powered Growth: Lessons from Mexico 6/4/2021

India’s Vision for Gas-Powered Growth: Lessons from Mexico

Payne Institute Student Researcher Isabelle Goetz and Senior Research Associate Dr. Greer Gosnell argue that India has an opportunity to secure reliable and affordable energy, whilst ensuring its gas usage supports national and global decarbonization efforts.  With India set to experience the largest rise in energy consumption globally to 2040, the potential role of gas in powering rapid demand increases is of particular importance for reaching local air pollution and global climate change goals, and in setting an example for other developing nations with similar growth aspirations.  June 4, 2021.  

Accelerating Supply Chain Decarbonization 6/2/2021

Accelerating Supply Chain Decarbonization

The Payne Institute with partners at the Rocky Mountain Institute, and Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment have formed a partnership with UN Climate Change Secretariat to create the Coalition on Materials Emissions Transparency (COMET) Framework.  COMET will address a fundamental gap in consistent, broadly applicable, and widely accepted methodologies in current global carbon accounting practices for these supply chains, which together represent over 40% of global emissions.  June 2, 2021.  

A ski company built a power plant fueled by methane. It’s a success, but can it be replicated? 5/28/2021

A ski company built a power plant fueled by methane. It’s a success, but can it be replicated?

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian contributes to this article about news of Aspen Ski Companies success as the international climate community continues to debate how best to stop the warming of the planet, with a new emphasis on methane reduction.  The power plant churns out 24 million kilowatt hours a year, about as much electricity for the grid as the ski company uses to run its four resorts and hotels. Aspen Skiing Co. had already built a small solar array on one ski hill and a hydroelectric plant powered by spring snow melt — but it wanted to do more.  May 28, 2021.

Talking Transition: Putting a stop to flaring 5/20/2021

Talking Transition: Putting a stop to flaring

The Payne Institute continues our partnership with the World Bank and OGCI to put a stop to global gas flaring.  Flaring is the most visible part of the decarbonization challenge in the oil and gas industry. It causes both carbon dioxide and methane emissions, it wastes valuable energy – and aside from unavoidable safety measures it can be stopped.  May 20, 2021.

Behavior Change Essential to Net-Zero Emissions 5/20/2021

Behavior Change Essential to Net-Zero Emissions, says IEA. Here are 2 Ways it Can Go Further.

Payne Institute Senior Research Associate Greer Gosnell writes an opinion piece about how behavior change has long been a touchy subject when it comes to climate change mitigation. While many of us – the author included—have argued for broader and more rigorous research to enlist individuals in the necessary global transitions, some have argued that a neoliberal focus on individual responsibility is harming (or at least not helping) global climate efforts by distracting us from the real culprits—i.e. fossil fuel interests and policymakers.  May 20, 2021.

Keywan Riahi appointed to ten-member group of the UN Secretary General 5/17/2021

Keywan Riahi appointed to ten-member group of the UN Secretary General

The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has appointed a new group of ten renowned experts including IIASA Energy, Climate, and Environment Program Director, and Payne Institute Fellow, Keywan Riahi, to support the UN Technology Facilitation Mechanism to bring science into the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  May 17, 2021. 

We’re Not Ready for the Next Big Climate Disasters 5/14/2021

We’re Not Ready for the Next Big Climate Disasters

Payne Institute Advisory Board member David G. Victor, Sadie Frank, and Eric Gesick write about how the infrastructure bills taking shape in Congress will be the first test of the Biden administration’s ability to legislate on climate change. Most eyes are on how greener infrastructure can cut emissions of warming gases.  But it will take decades to achieve the enormous reductions required globally; in the meantime emissions will continue and so will the warming.  May 14, 2021.

Colorado oil and gas company aims to produce “cleanest molecules” anywhere 5/13/2021

Colorado oil and gas company aims to produce “cleanest molecules” anywhere

The Payne Institute Earth Observation Group continues our partnership with Project Canary with continuous monitoring of well sites, by collecting the data to provide an independent analysis of the information. Crestone Peak has teamed up with Project Canary to track emissions; however, environmentalists say regulations are still needed.  Amid escalating worries about climate change and pollution from oil and gas operations, Colorado’s largest electric utility is going to buy natural gas from a company that is continuously monitoring its emissions and working to certify its product as responsible. Xcel Energy said Wednesday that it will buy some of its gas for use in Colorado from Denver-based Crestone Peak Resources as part of a pilot project to show that it’s dedicated to delivering “a cleaner energy product.” Xcel was the first utility in the country to announce a goal of delivering carbon-free electricity.  May 13, 2021.