This policy brief looks at ways to optimise gas flaring policy to achieve net zero aims, based upon research with gas industry stakeholders

Aigbe, Godwin

Cotton, Matthew

Stringer, Lindsay

English

Teeside University's Research Repository

The challengeGlobal policy on gas flaring reduction has had limited impact to date. The World Bank/GGFR estimatedthat 146.8 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas was flared in 2022. The practice has continued due tofailures in the overall design and implementation of gas flaring policies, incoherent legislative andregulatory frameworks, non-transparent reporting and disclosure of statistical data, and failure toprovide an enabling flaring framework to address flaring, including fiscal and emission reductionincentives.While gas flaring creates global externalities from associated greenhouse gas emissions, leading to localand global environmental injustices, consistency and policy coherence across oil and gas producer andnon-producer nations participating in flaring reduction initiatives are key policy goals. The instrumentsused by governments to reduce emissions vary across different countries, including those to address gasflaring. Efforts to reduce flaring have been hindered due to a lack of coherent environmental policies andregulations. There is a need to evaluate stakeholder preferences for various policy and regulatoryoptions and determine the most efficient policies and regulations, as well as the most effectiveapproaches to stimulate the elimination of routine gas flaring by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by2050, while addressing any unfair implementation of policies and regulations.Policy BriefDecember 2023  PB003Optimising Gas Flaring Policy for Net ZeroResearch Questionsi. What are the key criteria and, sub-criteria, and alternative gas flaringpolicies and regulatory frameworks thatcan help meet the 2030 zero routineflaring targets?ii. How can these criteria, sub-criteria, andalternative policy scenarios beprioritised, selected, and benchmarkedto stimulate flaring reduction actions?iii. What are the optimal gas flaring policiesand regulatory framework criteria andsub-criteria, presenting the bestalternative policy scenario to stimulateflaring reduction actions?MethodsThe research used mixed methods incorporatingliterature and document review, semi-structuredinterviews with seven experts, consisting of fourrepresentatives from environmental NGOs andadvocacy groups, as well as three environmentalcampaigners, expert surveys (23 experts out of the 59contacted responded and completed the survey viaemail), a Q-methodology survey, exit interviews, anAnalytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and a Technique forOrder of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (G-TOPSIS).Research aimThis research aimed to evaluatestakeholder preferences for differentpolicies and regulatory options,determining the most optimised andeffective to help eliminate routine gas-flaring by 2030 and achieve net zeroemissions by 2050 whilst addressing goodgovernance, justice, and fairimplementation.Satellite-Detected Natural Gas Flaring by the Earth Observation Group, Payne Institute for Public Policy, Colorado School of MinesKey findings• All gas flaring policy and regulatory framework criteria (policy and targets, legal, regulatoryframework, and contractual rights, regulatory governance and organisation, licensing and processapproval, measurement and reporting, fines, penalties, and sanctions, and enabling framework) andsub-criteria (background and the role of reductions in meeting environmental and economicobjectives, targets and limits specified by the regulator, primary and secondary legislation andregulation, legislative jurisdictions, associated gas ownership, regulatory authority, regulatorymandates and responsibilities, monitoring and enforcement, development plans, economicevaluation, flaring or venting without prior approval, authorised flaring or venting, measurement andreporting requirements, measurement frequency and methods, engineering estimates,recordkeeping, data compilation and publishing, monetary penalties, nonmonetary penalties,performance requirements, fiscal and emission reduction incentives, use of market-based principles,negotiated agreements between the public and the private sector, and interplay with midstream anddownstream regulatory framework) identified were shown to be integral to achieving the targets ofzero routine flaring by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050 through the ranking of individualcriteria.• The individual criteria: “Policy and targets” and “Enabling framework”, were deemed the mostimportant.• The “background and the role of reductions in meeting environmental and economic objectives”and “nonmonetary penalties” were the most crucial sub-criteria to abate global gas flaring.• Analysis showed that full implementation of gas flaring policies and regulatory framework criteriato limit temperature warming to 1.5°C is considered the most effective policy alternative.This policy brief is based on a manuscript currently under review as follows:Aigbe, G. O., Stringer, L. C., & Cotton, M. Optimising policies and regulations for zero routine gas flaring and net zero. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy.  https://doi.org/10.21203/RS.3.RS-3427398/V1For more details about the project, please contact: Godwin Aigbe: gaigbe01@googlemail.comProfessor Lindsay Stringer: lindsay.stringer@york.ac.ukProfessor Matthew Cotton: m.cotton@tees.ac.uk.Policy recommendations1. Governments should agree and establish consistent andfair transnational policies and regulatory frameworks toreduce gas flaring. This should be accompanied bylegally binding agreements between countries to ensurereciprocity and accountability to improve policycoherence and promote effective implementation.2. It is recommended that countries develop strategies toreduce gas flaring and promote collaboration amongstakeholders.3. Governments should ensure flaring monitoring systemsand optimise process controls to decrease flaring levels.4. Well-designed contracts and regulations are crucial toencourage cooperation among upstream andmidstream operators.This cross-national gas flaring research could support the IPCC's analysis of the social and political aspects of climate change. This approach used in this analysis aligns with the post-Paris Accord emphasis on continuous research to monitor and facilitate the achievement of national targets for climate change mitigation.AHP and G-TOPSIS methods could offer efficient ways to conduct social science research on energy and climate change analysis, consistent with the systems approach in this research. Also, these combined methods could enhance stakeholders' participation in decisions concerning other complex and controversial environmental issues. 

Optimising Gas Flaring Policy for Net Zero:[Policy Brief]

https://research.tees.ac.uk/ws/files/77815186/Optimising_Gas_Flaring_Policy_for_Net_Zero.pdf

Optimising Gas Flaring Policy for Net Zero:[Policy Brief]

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