Glencore Misreported Methane Emissions From Australian Coal Mines, Report Says
April 20 2022 - 9:55AM
Dow Jones News
By Maitane Sardon
Glencore PLC could face more pressure to dial up its climate
strategy following a report alleging that the company is
understating methane emissions from some of its coal mines.
The report by the Australasian Centre for Corporate
Responsibility, a shareholder advocacy group, said that between
2018 and 2021, the commodities giant understated its operational
emissions by 11% to 24% on an annual basis as it reported fewer
methane emissions than some of its Australian coal mines had
produced.
The analysis used methane estimates made using satellite data by
scientists from the SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research.
Methane, a potent greenhouse gas that can leak from pipelines, has
become a focus of climate-monitoring satellites as it is harder to
detect than carbon dioxide.
The SRON scientists estimated that methane emissions from
Glencore's Hail Creek mine in Queensland were at least 13 times
greater than what it had disclosed in its 2019 emissions inventory,
while those produced at its Oaky Creek coal mine were at least
double, the ACCR said.
Based on the findings, the 2019 baseline Glencore relies on to
determine its climate goals and measure changes in the amount of
emissions released into the atmosphere is inaccurate, the ACCR
said.
A Glencore spokesman denied the claims and questioned the
reliability of using satellite technology for climate
monitoring.
"There are concerns and questions in relation to the use of
satellite technology to measure methane emissions reliably and
accurately from mining," he said.
He added that the paper published by the SRON scientists
included inaccurate information on Glencore's coal production and
operations, making it hard to rely on to estimate its operational
emissions.
The ACCR said investors should ask Glencore to explain its
methods to measure its methane emissions and draft a plan to
strengthen its sustainability reporting.
According to research by Boston Consulting Group, only 10% of
companies quantify their greenhouse-gas emissions, and 66% don't
report on emissions linked to the use of their products by
customers. Methane emissions from oil, gas and coal are 70% greater
than what governments disclose in official data, the International
Energy Agency's methane tracker shows.
Write to Maitane Sardon at maitane.sardon@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 20, 2022 09:40 ET (13:40 GMT)
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