Abstract:
Controlling methane emissions is a key component of combating climate change and achieving comprehensive greenhouse gas reductions. As one of the main sources of methane emissions, the energy industry is regarded as a priority area for emission reduction, and carrying out methane information disclosure by energy companies is a basic work. However, the theoretical research and practice progress on methane information disclosure of China’s enterprises lag behind the international level. This paper focuses on the disclosure of methane emission information of fossil energy enterprises, starts from the characteristics of methane emissions in the fossil energy industry, clarifies the needs of methane information disclosure in the whole industry chain of enterprises, and systematically sorts out the practical progress of methane information disclosure of international energy enterprises. Meanwhile, compared with the current disclosure status, the problems and challenges faced by methane information disclosure of fossil energy enterprises in our country are clarified. The study finds that leading international energy companies have gradually formed a mature system, leading our country in terms of disclosure targets, monitoring and detection technology, and international participation in methane emission reduction, while China’s fossil energy enterprises are still in their infancy in methane information disclosure. The study suggests that based on the actual situation of the fossil energy industry and the demand for methane emission control, taking into account compliance and practicability, accelerate the formation of an enterprise methane information disclosure system from framework design to action implementation, and support the scientific development of methane information disclosure practice of fossil energy enterprises in China. At the institutional level, it is necessary to accelerate top-level design, clarify departmental rights and responsibilities and corporate legal obligations, and improve the MRV system against international standards. At the market level, it is essential to strengthen ESG synergy, include methane indicators in ratings, and innovate green financial tools. At the enterprise level, efforts should be made to promote the head demonstration, improve the disclosure content and disclosure capacity in stages. At the international level, it is important to strengthen foreign exchanges and cooperation between enterprises and promote the integration of localized experience into the global methane governance system.