# Methane is both a problem and an opportunity: How market-based solutions can cut emissions even after climate policy has retreated

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/energy-gang-887131/methane-is-both-a-problem-and-an-opportunity-how-market-based-solutions-can-cut-emissions-even-after-climate-policy-has-retreated
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/energy-gang-887131/methane-is-both-a-problem-and-an-opportunity-how-market-based-solutions-can-cut-emissions-even-after-climate-policy-has-retreated.md
Podcast: [Energy Gang](https://stenobird.com/podcast/energy-gang-887131)
Published: 2026-06-15T23:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/rss.art19.com/episodes/5b60698e-9bf0-49a1-9c5e-1cc4059d2a24.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIg90cmFuc2NyaWJyBjoGRVQ%3D--952c5701c84ad333c69d5faa668f8177091704f0
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/rss.art19.com/episodes/5b60698e-9bf0-49a1-9c5e-1cc4059d2a24.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIg90cmFuc2NyaWJyBjoGRVQ%3D--952c5701c84ad333c69d5faa668f8177091704f0
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/energy-gang-887131/episodes/methane-is-both-a-problem-and-an-opportunity-how-market-based-solutions-can-cut-emissions-even-after-climate-policy-has-retreated
Duration seconds: 3055

## Resource

Methane is the second-most important greenhouse gas, after carbon dioxide. It has accounted for roughly 30% of human-induced global warming since the 19th century. But it is also a valued commodity, used to heat homes and cook food, provide raw materials for industry and keep the lights on. Every molecule leaked is energy wasted and money lost. The IEA estimates that about 200 billion cubic meters per year could be saved for productive uses by reducing leakage and flaring in the oil and gas industry. That is roughly one fifth of US supply, over a third of the global LNG trade, and nearly twice the volume exported through the Strait of Hormuz in 2025. Half of all abatement opportunities have a positive or zero net cost. The technology to cut emissions by 75% exists today. So why are methane emissions from oil and gas still so large? Host Ed Crooks is joined by TJ Conway, Principal at RMI's Climate Intelligence Program, to explore what it will take to tackle the problem. TJ walks through RMI's approach: first, better understanding where emissions are and how large they are, including the role of super emitters, sources above 100 kilograms per hour that can account for half of total leakage, and then driving change through market mechanisms, corporate engagement, finance, and capacity building.  He then talks about the key issue for future methane emissions reductions: the demand side. Creating a functioning market for differentiated, lower-emissions gas requires that buyers, including utilities, industrial companies and hyperscales using gas-powered data centres, can credibly account for those purchases in their emissions inventories. That architecture is still being built. Ed and TJ also dig into the EU Methane Emissions Regulation, now entering its implementation…

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## Transcript

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