Though attempting to reduce methane pollution, “certified gas” programs are unreliable and ineffective and have documented failures to detect oil and gas pollution. A new report from Earthworks, a MacArthur grantee partner, and Oil Change International questions the legitimacy of “certified gas,” which the fossil fuel industry claims to be “responsibly sourced” with third party certification of reduced methane pollution. The report, Certified Disaster, documents the failures of monitors sold by one of the largest certifiers of methane gas and argues the “certification” process is unproven and incompatible with a climate-safe future. It urges policy makers to shift their focus to a safe, managed decline in the production, distribution, and use of fossil fuels.
