Highwood Emissions Management Releases Voluntary Emissions Reduction Initiatives Report

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Highwood Emissions Management released the latest version of its Voluntary Emissions Reduction Initiatives Report for 2022. It also partnered with PTAC and CRIN on a virtual conference related to the report and its findings. 

The 2021 report of the same name highlighted 20 distinct voluntary initiatives—certifications, guidelines, commitments, and ESG ratings. While the report’s authors expected consolidation among these initiatives, instead they found new ones have emerged and existing programs have added nuance and complexity. 

Voluntary emissions initiatives can be found at every stage of the supply chain, and many are integrating emerging technologies to detect, monitor, analyze, and report on emissions. Thomas Fox of Highwood Emissions Management spoke at this year’s Methane Strategies Forum about methane detection and quantification technologies. 

The 2022 report groups initiatives into four groups:

  • Certifications

  • Commitments

  • Guidelines

  • Other initiatives

It lays out 24 initiatives in the categories and further breaks down which initiatives apply to each area of the supply chain, emissions qualifications (Scopes 1, 2, and 3), and disclosure/transparency requirements. 

The report also notes broad takeaways, many of which are similar to findings in 2021:

  • Independent auditing is increasing but remains uncommon

  • Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions are commonly excluded

  • The various initiatives are not mutually exclusive and can build on each other

  • Most initiatives are non-prescriptive in terms of technology use

  • Rigorous initiatives are less numerous and have fewer participants than less rigorous programs

Since 2021, voluntary participation has grown rapidly, and continues to do so, especially in well-known initiatives like MiQ, OGMP 2.0, EO100, and more. 

Download the full report on the Highwood Emissions website. It’s voluntary.