API Statement on Climate Proposal from House Select Committee

WASHINGTON, June 30, 2020 — API today released the following statement responding to the House Select Committee’s climate plan.

“The risks of climate change are real, and the solutions must be equally real. Our industry is focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions while providing access to affordable and reliable energy that helps enhance standards of living around the world,” API SVP of Policy, Economics and Regulatory Affairs Frank J. Macchiarola said. “We are not waiting for the government to take action – we are meeting this challenge head on through cleaner fuels and innovation, all while delivering the energy that American families rely on every day. Now more than ever, we need bipartisan policy solutions to reduce the risks of climate change that do not force a false choice between protecting the environment and growing the U.S. economy. We can do both, but it will require working together and recognizing the critical role of the oil and natural gas industry in reducing emissions and powering the nation’s economic recovery.”

The U.S. has reduced CO2 emissions more than any other nation since 2000, and methane emissions relative to natural gas production from five of the largest U.S. producing regions, such as the Permian, have fallen more than 60 percent between 2011 and 2018. The industry is also taking action through The Environmental Partnership – a coalition of oil and natural gas companies committed to advancing technology, sharing best practices and continuously improving the industry’s environmental performance.

API supports bipartisan CCUS bills, including The USE IT Act and The LEADING Act, and will continue to champion policies that achieve the dual goals of meeting growing demand for affordable energy and addressing the risks of climate change. API and its members evaluate proposed government climate policies such as the report from the House Select Committee, according to API’s climate position and climate policy principles .

API represents all segments of America’s oil and natural gas industry. Our more than 600 members produce, process and distribute most of the nation’s energy. The industry supports more than ten million U.S. jobs and is backed by a growing grassroots movement of millions of Americans. API was formed in 1919 as a standards-setting organization. In our first 100 years, API has developed more than 700 standards to enhance operational and environmental safety, efficiency and sustainability.

###