Oil & Gas
emissions since 2019
Rising oil and gas production challenges sector
Oil & Gas Climate Action Index | 2019 = base year
Case Study- Oil & Gas
Can producers gain an edge through transparency?
The Challenge
Natural gas demand is set to grow over the next decade to 2035, according to the International Energy Agency’s base case,86 but its production continues to face scrutiny over climate and social impacts. Methane emissions, which are generated in both oil and gas production, are 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.87
One response to the climate and social impact scrutiny is certification by independent certification bodies. Certification does not require the production process to generate lower emissions. It only involves certification by an external party to verify emissions attributable to gas production. Reduction of emissions would require other measures such as industry players to deploy technologies and processes to reduce emissions.
As the International Energy Agency explains, certification is the process of independently verifying the environmental and social attributes of the natural gas, such as greenhouse gas emissions performance, water use, local community impacts and worker safety, against defined criteria or benchmarks. As of 2024, over 7.5% of global natural gas production—almost entirely in North America—is now certified against a handful of standards, according to the IEA.88
“By improving transparency on GHG emissions along the natural gas supply chain–particularly on methane, a potent short-lived climate pollutant–certification can incentivize operators to introduce measures to reduce these emissions,” the IEA said in a report on gas certification earlier this year.89
One certifier in the space is Equitable Origin (EO), a U.S.-based non-profit founded in 2009, which aims to advance accountability in energy production through voluntary, market-based standards. The IEA has identified EO as one of two main gas certification schemes, the other being Methane Intelligence Quotient (MiQ).90
OEO was developed following the international non-profit organization ISEAL Alliance guidelines, including on data collection, sharing and reporting, and has the U.N. Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights as core elements, along with United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the Oil & Gas Methane Partnership 2.0, which is central to the EU’s methane regulation standards.
Built on the same DNA as the Forest Stewardship Council certification for responsible timber products, the EO100 Standard aims to measure energy projects and verify whether they meet global and sectoral good practice benchmarks.91 In contrast to the methane-specific performance standard MiQ, EO is focused on assessing performance relative to Indigenous Rights benchmarks, in addition to greenhouse gas emissions and other benchmarks.92 “Indigenous peoples are among the first to face the direct consequences of climate change, due to their dependence upon, and close relationship, with the environment and its resources,” according to the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs-Indigenous Peoples.93
RBC Thought Leadership’s research suggests “73% of the 504 major resource and energy projects planned or currently underway in Canada run through, or are within a 20-kilometre radius of, Indigenous territories—namely, treaty, title unceded and consultation lands.”94
The Idea
Some gas producers in Western Canada are using certification to differentiate themselves in competitive and emissions-conscious markets. Certification can also strengthen access to new export markets—particularly in parts of Europe and Asia—where carbon tracking and traceable supply chains can be critical to import eligibility and long-term trade compliance.
To date, EO says it has certified 17-billion cubic feet per day of natural-gas production across 16 projects in North America—covering nearly 14% of total Canadian and U.S. output.95 In Canada, over 40% of production in Montney, the shale gas basin straddling Alberta and British Columbia, and much of the contracted supply for the LNG Canada natural gas export project have achieved EO certification.
The EO100 Standard evaluates producers across 504 metrics under five principles: environment, social impact, Indigenous relations, ethics, and labour. Some of the voluntary environmental disclosures include methane intensity per segment, freshwater user intensity and water recycle rate. Assessments involve field visits, stakeholder interviews, and reviews carried out by independent experts. The process draws on international assurance best practices consistent with ISO-based audit, ensuring transparency and traceability of performance data.96
Certification extends beyond emissions to include water-use management, biodiversity protection, community relations, and Indigenous participation. The framework encourages continuous improvement and helps producers embed sustainability into their operational culture.
The Obstacles
Despite progress, awareness and adoption of certification remains limited. Certification currently covers only a small share of total gas production in North America, and the market for certified-gas premiums is still developing. Most buyers remain price-sensitive, with few willing to pay more for certified gas outside a handful of jurisdictions.
In Canada, smaller operators may find the process resource-intensive, and others hesitate without clearer commercial incentives.
The Insight
EO certification can help build credibility, accountability, and long-term trust with buyers. While direct financial premiums are limited today, the potential benefits—enhanced reputation, improved financing conditions, and a strengthened social license—can help position certified-gas producers ahead of regulatory and market change.
Emissions intensity estimates are defined as emissions (tonnes CO2 equivalent) per square meter of floor space. Floor space data for residential and commercial buildings was sourced from Natural Resources Canada’s Com-prehensive Energy Use Database. For years where NRCan estimates were unavailable, floor space was projected using a simple linear trend informed by recent historical growth, providing an indicative estimate aligned with current patterns in building activity. Emissions intensities were calculated separately for the residential and commercial sectors and rolled up into a single measure using a weighted average determined by floor space.
The emissions decline resulting from decreased coal-powered electricity generation is taken from historical emissions factors and implied coal-based generation as reported under Table A13-1 as part of Statistical Annex 13 Electricity Intensity.
The emissions impact from the estimated increase in natural gas powered generation is based on historical conversion factors from 2019-2023 reported data under Table A13-1 as part of Statistical Annex 13 Electricity Intensity.
Total sector emissions within electricity in 2025 are the summation of the estimated decline in emissions from coal-powered electricity generation and the increase in natural gas-powered electricity generation as detailed above. These values are then compared relative to 2005 and 2019 as disclosed under Table A13-1 as part of Statistical Annex 13 Electricity Intensity.
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Certification also strengthens access to new export markets—particularly in Europe and Asia