Utilities charging premiums for "certified gas" face greenwashing accusations
A report by climate advocates claims that the fossil fuel industry’s “certified gas” programs are ineffective and misleading.
Phil McKenna reports for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- Gas utilities promote certified gas as low-carbon but climate groups call it greenwashing.
- Methane detection systems often fail to identify emissions, undermining certification claims.
- U.S. senators urge the FTC to investigate deceptive environmental claims by gas certification programs.
Key quote:
“Certified gas is a greenwashing scam. There is not nearly enough evidence from the certifiers or the oil and gas industry itself that this gas is actually indeed [associated with] lower methane emissions.”
— Dakota Raynes, researcher, Earthworks
Why this matters:
Critics argue that certified gas still involves the extraction and burning of fossil fuels, which inevitably releases greenhouse gases and other pollutants. They emphasize that any fossil fuel use perpetuates dependence on non-renewable energy sources and delays the transition to truly clean energy alternatives like wind and solar.
