Emissions from fossil fuels have been ‘significantly underestimated’
Cologne-based think-tank nova-Institute claims to have exposed “a major underestimation” of methane emissions from oil and gas.
The institute, which specialises in defossilisation and renewable carbon, recently carried out analysis of updates to what it calls “leading lifecycle inventory (LCI) databases”. These databases are key sources of the information on which lifecycle assessment (LCA) studies are based.
Its findings could have major implications for comparing the carbon footprints of fossil-based materials with those of natural materials, including leather.
According to nova-Institute’s analysis, global methane emissions from oil production are likely to be 15 times higher than the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) has claimed.
For natural gas, the institute said emissions are up to 3.8 times higher in key producing countries than IOGP has estimated.
It said downstream products such as polyethylene, polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate, which are all types of plastic in use in consumer products, should now carry carbon footprints that are between 20% and 30% higher than previous LCA figures have suggested.
Commenting on the findings, the secretary of the International Council of Tanners, Dr Kerry Senior, said the implications of this development for comparisons between leather and synthetic alternatives “through the narrow lens of LCA” remain to be seen.
He added: “It is obvious that action is needed on all methane emissions. However, it is clear that the arguments in favour of natural materials, including leather, get stronger all the time.”
Image: ConocoPhillips.
