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Over two-thirds of Indians use solid fuels to meet daily cooking energy needs, with associated negative environmental, social, and health impacts. Major national initiatives implemented by the Indian government over the last few decades have included subsidies for cleaner burning fuels like liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and kerosene to encourage a transition to these. However, the extent to which these programs have affected net emissions from the use of these improved fuels has not been adequately studied. Here, we estimate the amount of fuelwood displaced and its net emissions impact due to improved access to LPG for cooking in India between 2001 and 2011 using nationally representative household expenditure surveys and census datasets. We account for a suite of climate-relevant emissions (Kyoto gases and other short-lived climate pollutants) and biomass renewability scenarios (a fully renewable and a conservative non-renewable case). We estimate that the national fuelwood displaced due to increased LPG access between 2001 and 2011 was approximately 7.2 million tons. On aggregate, we estimate a net emissions reduction of 6.73 MtCO 2 e due to the fuelwood displaced from increased access to LPG, when both Kyoto and non-Kyoto climate-active emissions are accounted for and assuming 0.3 as the fraction of non-renewable biomass (fNRB) harvested. However, if only Kyoto gases are considered, we estimate a smaller net emissions decrease of 0.03 MtCO 2 e (assuming fully renewable biomass harvesting), or 3.05 MtCO 2 e (assuming 0.3 as the fNRB). We conclude that the transition to LPG cooking in India reduced pressures on forests and achieved modest climate benefits, though uncertainties regarding the extent of non-renewable biomass harvesting and suite of climate-active emissions included in such an estimation can significantly influence results in any given year and should be considered carefully in any analysis and policy-making.

Emerging methane technologies promise rapid and cost-effective methods to measure and monitor methane emissions. Here, we present results from the Alberta Methane Field Challengethe first large-scale, concurrent field trial of eleven alternative methane emissions detection and quantification technologies at operating oil and gas sites. We evaluate new technologies by comparing their performance with conventional optical gas imaging survey. Overall, technologies are effective at detecting methane emissions, with 8 out of 11 technologies achieving an effectiveness of approximately 80%. Importantly, results highlight the key differences in technology performance between those observed at controlled release tests versus those in field conditions. Intermittent emissions from tanks substantially affects detection and site-level quantification estimates and should be independently monitored while assessing technology performance. In this study, all technologies improved their effectiveness in detecting tank emissions when intermittency was considered. Truck-and plane-based systems have clear advantages in survey speed over other technologies, but their use as effective screening technologies to identify high-emitting sites rests on their quantification effectiveness. Drone-based technologies demonstrated higher effectiveness than other technologies in identifying quantification rank compared to baseline OGI-based survey. Overall, quantification under in-field conditions is affected by several exogenous factors such as temporal variation in emissions and changing environmental conditions. We recommend that assessment studies of new methane detection technologies at oil and gas facilities include comprehensive, continuous, and redundant emissions measurement.Recently, several new methane emissions detection technologies that promise faster and more cost-effective leak detection than existing approaches have been developed [19]. These technologies include continuous monitoring systems, mobile sensors mounted on drones, trucks, and planes, handheld sensors, and satellite systems [20]. Most of these technologies are not currently approved for use in regulatory LDAR programs. To enable widespread deployment, the efficacy of new technologies must be validated through rigorous testing, modeling, and field trials. Recent studies in the US have evaluated a variety of mobile methane detection technologies under controlled conditions [21]-[23]. The Stanford/EDF Mobile Monitoring Challenge, for example, evaluated ten truck-, drone-, and plane-based systems for their effectiveness in detecting and quantifying methane emissions at controlled release test facilities [21]. The US Department of Energy's MONITOR program funded the development of several new methane sensors that were tested under controlled conditions [24]. While these studies provided data on technology parameters such as probability of detection and false positive rates, they are not representative of typical O&G operations. Thus, systematic field trials at producing O&G...

A climate-positive COVID-19 recovery can accelerate the energy transition away from fossil fuels. Yet, current assessments of recovery stimulus programs suggest that the world is more likely to take on a 'dirty' recovery path out of the pandemic than a 'green' one. Such a path will postpone climate action and entrench fossil fuel dependence. To change course, fossil fuel producers have to get on board. For this, cooperative international efforts mobilizing both fossil fuel consumers and producers need to promote 'just transition' policies that increase support for a green shift among fossil fuel companies and producing countries, including fossil fuel exporters. In turn, fossil fuel producers should leverage the opportunity of large stimulus packages to reduce their fossil fuel production dependence and increase their contribution to accelerating an energy transition through supply-side measures. A combination of 'green' investments and 'just' transition reforms could help enroll fossil fuel producers into a climate-friendly post-COVID recovery.

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