Flames from a flaring pit near a well in the Bakken oil field. Photo: Orjan F. Ellingvag/Corbis via Getty Images
Hill Democrats and EU lawmakerswant the International Energy Agency to draw up global standards for measuring methane emissions from oil and gas, Nick writes.
Why it matters: Methane is a mega greenhouse gas, but measuring it accurately in the oil and gas supply chain and reducing leaks have been longstanding regulatory challenges.
Driving the news: The lawmakers want IEA to create an "international standard for measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV) of methane emissions and a methane emissions intensity index," per a letter seen by Axios.
The idea is to help countries develop more stringent methane standards.
The letter also asks IEA to work with oil and gas companies and financial institutions to figure out how to reduce methane emissions in low- and middle-income countries.
U.S. signatories include Julia Brownley, Summer Lee and Sean Casten.
Our thought bubble: These specific requests on methane offer an interesting side-by-side with the GOP's ongoing probe into the IEA's methodologies.
