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In the short term, the 2025 reduction plans weve outlined are projected to be consistent with the trajectories of a
2-degree pathway, a vision articulated in the Paris Agreement that translates to about a 10% reduction in global GHG emissions by 2025 versus 2016 numbers. Solving the dual challenge requires all of us to be
in this together, and companies like ours can bring unique strengths and scale that help put societies on a path to a lower-carbon tomorrow.
How are we
expecting to achieve these plans?
A significant portion of this reduction will come from our unconventional Upstream production in the U.S., where we are
continuing to reduce flaring and methane emissions. To this end, in collaboration with others in the space, we have developed a series of industry-leading best practices, including increasing leak detection and repair, improving inspections with
advanced technologies, and retiring high-bleed pneumatic devices (nearly 100% of these devices were phased out from our U.S. unconventional operations as of 2020). Weve also offered a methane regulatory framework to encourage
governments to enact similar requirements across the industry while working with universities to advance research and monitoring networks.
Similarly, our
Downstream and Chemical operations will continue to focus on improving energy efficiency, increasing cogeneration at manufacturing facilities, and applying new technologies and techniques that reduce emissions. One example I wrote about recently is
the redesigned hydrocracking system we deployed in Rotterdam that won an Edison Award from the R&D Council of New Jersey. In the past few years, my team has developed novel materials, liquid separation membranes, and gas-treating technologies that can achieve significant greenhouse gas reductions. A case in point is Celestia, a breakthrough catalyst that can
help refiners efficiently remove sulfur and other impurities from diesel, an essential fuel for commercial transportation, while using less energy and creating fewer emissions.
Our efforts to reduce emissions in the short term run parallel to our commitment to finding solutions in the long term. Today, our eyes are focused on the
technology advancements that will be crucial to achieving societys net-zero ambitions. These include carbon capture and storage, low-carbon hydrogen production,
advanced biofuels and energy-efficient manufacturing. Importantly, these research directions represent technologies that apply to three sectors of energy use (commercial transportation, power generation and industrial manufacturing) that currently
have only limited viable solutions for reducing emissions. For instance, CCS, a technology that the IPCC has identified as necessary in every projected 2-degrees pathway, can be deployed at power and
industrial facilities. On that note, ExxonMobil has captured more CO2 than any other company since the inception of the technology. And with our ongoing collaborations with companies like Global Thermostat and Fuel Cell, as well as more than 80
universities around the world, we are uniquely positioned to bring this portfolio of technologies to greater scale.
Like Ive said before, solving
the dual challenge will require conviction, ingenuity and, most importantly, collaboration. The plans for 2025 weve outlined, coupled with insights from our recent Energy & Carbon Summary, represent our progress and vision.
Within the oil and gas sector, were working toward industry-leading GHG performance across our businesses by 2030. And as societies continue to deploy renewables like solar and wind, we will support this transition to lower-carbon systems by
focusing on technologies that mitigate emissions from the existing energy infrastructure.
I am both enthused and prepared for the work ahead as we
approach the next five years.
By Dr. Vijay Swarup, Vice President of Research and Development, ExxonMobil
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