Exploring low-emissions pathways

Since the Paris Agreement was made in December 2015, Ipieca has continued to work on the topic of low-emissions pathways, publishing awareness briefings to enhance members’ understanding of the topic, holding workshops exploring technologies and perspectives on low-emissions futures, in particular the role of carbon offsets in GHG mitigation and sustainable finance, and a series of webinars on carbon pricing and carbon capture and storage (CCS).

In the run up to Paris COP21, Ipieca created the Paris Puzzle, a series of papers intended to address what we see as key components of efforts to address climate change and demonstrate our commitment to meeting the challenge. Collectively, these papers highlight the fundamental role and contribution of the oil and gas industry in addressing the challenge of a transition to a low-emissions future.

Ahead of COP22 in Marrakech Ipieca released a new paper, Exploring low-emissions pathways, which explores the common elements and critical enablers of a low emissions future. Following on from then, at COP23 Ipieca delivered a side event on CCS and its potential role in helping to meet to goals of the Paris Agreement. At COP24 our focus switched to low-emissions transport and in the following summer Ipieca produced the paper, Exploring low-emissions pathways for transport. This built upon our previous work and explored the wide range of technologies that will be required for the evolution of the transport sector. At COP25, Ipieca held a side event on role of carbon offsets in GHG mitigation and enhancing ambition.

In the lead up to COP26, Ipieca held a virtual net-zero emissions roundtable, ‘Zigzag to zero? Positive pathways to Paris’, which examined the topic of the energy transition and net-zero emissions through industry, investor and civil society lenses. This was followed by the launch of the latest paper in Ipieca’s low-emissions pathways series: Hydrogen: enabling the energy transition and the pathways to net-zero emissions, explaining this technology, its production and storage methods, and exploring its potential role in the transition to a low-carbon economy. At COP26, Ipieca held a side event in Glasgow on ‘Contributing to a net-zero future: the crucial role of technology and partnerships for the energy transition and a sustainable future for all’.

At COP27 in 2022, Ipieca played an active role, convening stakeholders on critical issues. Ipieca held an official side event on ‘Adaptation, resilience and just transition: business engagement to deliver the Paris Agreement’, hosted an Ipieca-led side event on ‘Enablers of a net-zero emissions future in the Global South’, co-hosted with the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) a side event on ‘Measuring up to the methane challenge’, as well as participating in a number of other organizations’ events, workshops and meetings to explore collaborative pathways to deliver a sustainable energy transition.

In January 2022, Ipieca published Net-zero emissions: glossary of terms, to support the industry and other stakeholders in the use of consistent terminology around net-zero emissions.

Ipieca will continue to convene its membership to explore critical issues and support a low-emissions future.

Hear what ConocoPhillips Director of climate change, Malcolm Fawcett, has to say about the value of Ipieca, and publications such as The Paris Puzzle and Exploring low-emissions pathways.

Ipieca

Malcolm Fawcett, ConocoPhillips, discussing the value of IPIECA

Carbon capture and storage

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) prevents CO2 emissions (primarily from large stationary sources such as power stations) from entering the atmosphere, and could therefore play a significant role in the effort to limit climate change. Ipieca has produced workshop reports and a factsheet to help advance understanding of the role of CO2 capture and strategies to improve its performance and prospects.

In 2023, Ipieca collaborated with SPE Gaia, OGCI and IOGP on a series of CCS webinars to share knowledge and good practice on how to sustainably scale up this technology.

Biofuels

Biomass is a renewable resource that has the potential to supply a limited portion of the world’s energy needs. Ipieca focuses on promoting sustainability throughout the biofuels supply chain, in the understanding that the biofuels industry contributes to rural economies and helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Ipieca supports the development, ultimate adoption and government enforcement of an internationally recognized, transparent and accepted certification scheme, such as that presently under development by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB). Ipieca is engaging in this process by co-chairing the implementation Working Group and participating on the Verification Expert Panel. Through this engagement, we hope to facilitate improved communication between the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), RSB and the European Standards Organization(CEN), with the goal of creating one certifiable global standard. This will be of significant value to both the oil and gas industry and the wider community.

The challenge of large scale biomass production

Large-scale biomass cultivation can take land away from food production and drive up food prices. It might also lead to the clearing of forests and other land with a high carbon content, which could result in an overall increase in greenhouse gas emissions for decades to come.

Ensuring biofuel is sustainably produced

By evaluating Chain of Custody (CoC) systems, Ipieca ensures the sustainability credentials of the final biofuel product at the fuel pump. Ipieca has produced three guides that provide an introduction to biofuels and CoC systems.