The paper on methane shows that across the value chain from crude oil/natural gas to chemical products (e.g. plastics), the largest contributor to methane emissions is the exploration of gas and oil. Methane emissions at refineries and chemical plants are very small compared to the amount of CO2 that these plants release. Methane emissions are due to incomplete combustion in furnaces and boilers of refineries and fugitive emissions. Therefore, methane in the chemical industry should not be the greenhouse gas (GHG) that companies focus on when reducing their carbon footprint.
