UN Says 1.5°C Warming Overshoot Is Inevitable
A new UNEP report concludes that exceeding 1.5°C of global warming is now inevitable, shifting the priority toward limiting the magnitude and duration of the overshoot before temperatures can eventually be reduced. (Read more)
EPA Proposes Weaker Regulations for Marginal Wells
Propublica reports on a draft rule being reviewed by the White House: The EPA is proposing to weaken leak inspection and equipment upgrade requirements at >700k stripper wells, producing 6% of US oil and gas, yet account for half the sector’s methane emissions. (Read more)
Preservation of US GHGRP Amid Regulatory Uncertainty
The openGHGRP provides a publicly accessible reconstruction of U.S. oil and gas methane emissions reporting, designed to preserve access to facility-level emissions information amid changes to EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. (Read more)
NASA’s Global Methane Emissions Inventory
NASA has published its Global Inventory of Methane Emissions from Fuel Exploitation (GFEI_CH4), a bottom-up dataset estimating fugitive methane emissions from oil, gas, and coal infrastructure worldwide. (Read more)
Data Centers Could Become Major Methane Source
Using EPA emissions factors for methane slip, Endaris estimates 16 proposed U.S. data center projectscould emit up to 851,000 tonnes of methane annually. (Read more)
Google Releases Global Methane Plume Database
Google Research has released a global methane plume database generated using MAPL-EMIT. The database now publicly available through Google Earth. (Read more)
Industry Calls for Three-Year Delay to EU Methane Import Requirements
A coalition of European energy industry associations is calling for a three-year postponement of key EU Methane Regulation import requirements. They emphasize they are not requesting to weaken the regulation. (Read more here and here)
Highwood Fall Events
Highwood is attending five events across four countries between late September and mid-October. The schedule opens with SHALE INSIGHT ® 2026 in Erie, PA (Sept. 22-24) and the 3rd Methane Regulation & Emission Mitigation in Berlin (Sept. 24-25). October brings the Bridger Trailblazers Summit in Bozeman, MT (Oct. 5-7), African Energy Week in Cape Town (Oct. 12-16), and EEMDL in Austin, TX (Oct. 13-15). Let us know if you plan to attend any of them and would like to connect.
Turkmenistan Starts Fixing Methane Super-Emitter Leaks
Turkmenistan has stopped eight major methane leaks from oil and gas infrastructure, including repairs to corroded pipelines, faulty wells, and failing flares, according to UN data. (Read more)
Declining Methane Emissions in Algeria
Data Desk identified at least five major methane sources in Algeria that appear to have ceased emitting. The findings build on a broader decline in satellite-detected events in Algeria, which the IEA reports fell by roughly 20% in 2025. (Read more)
Decarbonisation Training Certification Launched in Malaysia
OPITO has launched a Decarbonisation Training Certification, building on a program developed by PETRONAS and INSTEP. Over 100 PETRONAS employees have completed the training so far. (Read more)
GNI Joins OGMP 2.0
Gas Networks Ireland has joined OGMP 2.0 as its first Irish member, following previous pilots of Level 4 and Level 5 methane measurement, quantification, and LDAR approaches. (Read more here and here)
MARS Alert Leads to Alberta Methane Leak Repair
An operator in Alberta repaired a major methane leak one week after it was detected through UNEP’s Methane Alert and Response System, marking the first mitigation in Canada from a MARS notification. (Read more)
Public Consultation on New Methodology for Plugging Oil and Gas Wells
The Global Carbon Council has opened consultation on a new framework for emission reductions quantification from permanently plugging wells. Feedback from stakeholders is open until September 23. (Read more)
Texas Grant for Emissions Reduction Projects
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is offering $16.5 million for emissions reduction projects, including funding for oil and gas projects that reduce emissions from upstream, midstream and downstream operations. Applications are due September 25. (Read more)
