- Ammonia is under consideration as a near-zero-emission fuel to help the shipping sector transition away from fossil fuels. But because the fuel’s lifecycle emissions profile is complex, its impacts need to be better understood and effectively managed.
- Findings from two recent studies build on how ammonia’s emissions from production, combustion and across the value chain influence ammonia’s climate impact — and why managing them is crucial to delivering real climate benefits while safeguarding people and the environment.
Energy Exchange
Clarifying the environmental impacts of ammonia as a shipping fuel: A call for deeper understanding and effective management
New report: Methane mitigation industry poised to drive growth in Canadian jobs, investment and exports
CALGARY — A new report commissioned by the Pembina Institute and Environmental Defense Fund finds that Canada’s methane mitigation industry is thriving, with well-paying jobs and investment likely to grow if companies and governments take steps to further reduce the harmful methane emissions that come from oil and gas production.
Energy affordability for all: How states are reducing energy cost burdens through rate-setting
By Madeline Thompson, EDF Legal and Regulatory Intern
Energy affordability has become a major concern for customers as utility rates rise across the country. Since 2001, the average cost of electricity per kilowatt has nearly doubled for residential customers, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Low-income households are facing the brunt of this burden. According to 2024 research, low-income households in the U.S. spend about 17% of their income on utilities, about three times the national average.
Clearing the air: The EU’s methane regulation is a climate solution — not a trade pawn
The global energy transition continues to accelerate. While challenges remain, the European Union is taking bold steps to lead the way. One of its most important moves: The Methane Regulation — an ambitious, first-of-its-kind framework that positions the EU as a global standard-setter for curbing methane emissions from fossil fuels, including those tied to imports.
Why hydrogen infrastructure must be designed and built for purpose
By Ilissa Ocko, Senior Climate Scientist, Spark Climate Solutions; and Sofia Esquivel Elizondo, Low Carbon Energy Scientist, EDF
It’s no secret that there are big ambitions for hydrogen as a climate solution. Many champions of proposed hydrogen infrastructure argue that it’s a viable swap to move hydrogen through vast networks of existing natural gas systems. But although there are possibilities to reuse some of the existing natural gas infrastructure for hydrogen, these roles are limited by safety and energetic considerations to a small fraction of the current energy we derive from fossil natural gas; and there are serious engineering concerns around repurposing a system that wasn’t designed for hydrogen.
Charting the course for a cleaner future for shipping: Getting a legally binding price on carbon right for a just energy transition
By Angie Farrag-Thibault and Natacha Stamatiou
A version of this blog ran as an op-ed in Bunkerspot.
The global shipping sector is grappling with ensuring fair, equitable outcomes as it transitions to a more sustainable future in the face of climate change. To reach a goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 and reduce pollution from the sector, Member States at the International Maritime Organization must now — at the 83rd Meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee — collectively agree on the parameters of a legally binding price on carbon and other greenhouse gases, as well as a global fuel standard. These measures can incentivize cleaner shipping practices and generate billions of U.S. dollars annually to support the sector’s decarbonization to mitigate climate-related consequences for shipping communities globally.