Trillium Submits Comments in Support of EPA’s Proposed Methane Rule

DECEMBER 4, 2015: Trillium Asset Management recently submitted its formal comments in support of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed methane rule for new and modified sources in the oil and gas industry.
Trillium joins members of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) who are engaging the oil and gas industry to promote more sustainable practices. On Thursday, December 3rd, ICCR hand-delivered comments to EPA Acting Assistant Administrator Janet McCabe in support of its proposed regulation to curb methane emissions leaks for new or modified fracking operations.
We believe this rule is important to investors because methane that leaks is lost revenue and methane is 25 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, over a 100-year period.
In expressing our support for the rule we stated that while the proposed rule is a very strong and meaningful step towards addressing methane emissions, it does not apply to enough facilities to meet our national goal of cutting methane emissions from the oil and gas sector 40–45 percent from 2012 levels by 2025.
It is estimated that nearly 90 percent of methane emissions from the oil and gas sector in 2018 will come from infrastructure built prior to 2012 [1] . The EPA needs to move quickly to implement rules to get at that existing oil and gas infrastructure. As we continue to support the proposed rule, Trillium will move forward urging the EPA to take the next step and put forward rules for existing infrastructure.

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1. http://insideclimatenews.org/news/18082015/epas-new-methane-rules-need-stronger-teeth-groups-say
For more information: Randy Rice, Trillium Asset Management, rrice@trilliuminvest.com, 617-515-6889