石油和天然气行业在提供全球人口不断增长所需的能源供应和应对减少温室气体（主要是甲烷）排放的挑战之间保持着微妙的平衡。尽管该行业在许多领域取得了进展，但批评者担心当前的减排步伐需要加快，并呼吁加快这一进程。

根据国际能源署 (IEA) 的数据，工业革命以来全球气温上升的约 30% 是由甲烷造成的，使其成为仅次于二氧化碳的第二大气候变化因素。石油和天然气生产过程中会释放甲烷，该行业约占全球排放到大气中的人为甲烷的四分之一。

随着人们越来越认识到它们对环境的负面影响，世界各国政府在努力寻求更清洁的发电来源时，现在对这些排放物进行了更严格的审查。因此，能源公司不断寻找有效管理和减少甲烷排放的方法，以遵守新法规。

根据非营利组织清洁空气工作组和 Ceres 的说法，行业的努力正在取得成果。

The oil and gas industry walks a fine line between providing the energy supplies demanded by a growing global population and addressing the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, mainly methane. While the industry has made gains in many areas, critics have flagged concerns that the current pace of emissions mitigation needs to be faster and called for acceleration of the process.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), methane is responsible for approximately 30% of the rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution, making it the second-largest contributor to climate change behind carbon dioxide. Methane is released during oil and gas production processes, and the industry accounts for about a quarter of the global anthropogenic methane emitted into the atmosphere.

With increasing recognition of their negative environmental impacts, these emissions are now under greater scrutiny by governments worldwide as they strive toward cleaner power generation sources. As a result, energy companies continue to find ways to effectively manage and reduce their methane emissions to remain compliant with new regulations.

According to nonprofit organizations Clean Air Task Force and Ceres, industry efforts are delivering results.