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During President Trump’s first term in office, oil and gas companies made headlines for opposing his efforts to rollback methane safeguards. ExxonMobil CEO, Darren Woods, quickly jumped into the spotlight to announce the company’s public opposition to Trump’s rollbacks. Then, as the Biden Administration took over the White House, Exxon Vice President Staale Gjervik publicly declared that their support for the direct regulation of methane emissions “hasn’t changed.”
Well… it seems like that has changed. However, Exxon isn’t being so loud about its feelings this time, and neither are its peers. Now, when we are on the verge of a climate catastrophe, the industry that brought us to the edge isn’t just silent; they are quietly pushing us over the edge.
In October of 2024, the Washington Post revealed that the American Exploration and Production Council (AXPC), a key industry group lead by oil giants like ExxonMobil, EQT, and ConocoPhillips, had devised a plan to reverse existing methane pollution safeguards so that they can pour more climate-warming methane emissions into the atmosphere. Meanwhile, these companies all claim to be taking action to reduce their methane emissions.
With Trump in office, AXPC and friends are moving quickly to bring their plan to life.
Last week, Republican members of Congress introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution (CRA) to repeal an Environmental Protection Agency rule. That rule requires oil and gas companies to improve their methane emissions reporting and assess a fee only on the largest polluters (those emitting 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent or more per year) who are not abiding by the new methane standards. The fee is known as the Waste Emission Charge (WEC). This methane fee is a commonsense measure to cut excessive and easily avoidable waste, protect public health from harmful pollution, and hold the largest oil and gas polluters accountable.
See Earthworks statement on the bill.
Ironically, AXPC’s leaked documents (uncovered and published by the amazing folks at Field Notes) reveals that its member companies weren’t being honest when it came to their own public pledges to reduce methane emissions. The leaked documents included a confidential survey of member companies showing that nine out of the 19 companies that responded increased methane flaring between 2021 and 2023. Additionally, the total amount of flaring across the companies increased by 20% from 2022 to 2023. AXPC’s 28 members represent more than half of U.S. on-shore oil and gas production and, based on these admissions, it’s reasonable to assume they represent at least half of the pollution that comes from oil and gas production.
We know that voluntary measures to reduce methane emissions are not enough. AXPC’s documents further prove that while its members talk a lot about climate ambitions, they are doing something entirely different inside their companies. These empty words are unacceptable, and have dangerous consequences for our climate and public health.
You cannot claim that your company is working to reduce its own methane emissions while also being part of a trade association that is actively trying to roll back methane emissions standards. Yet, many companies are. And, if oil and gas executives are worried about the costs of the fees they might be assessed, I’d like to remind them that being in a trade group isn’t cheap. AXPC members pay more than $250,000 in dues, annually.
Now more than ever we need rules like the Waste Emissions Charge to hold oil and gas companies accountable to what they have already promised to do. We must demand real, measurable change and there must be consequences when those demands are not met.
We know that AXPC members can’t be trusted to do the right thing which is why we worked hard for sound policy to reduce some of the harms that communities face from methane and other dangerous pollutants. We are calling on Congress to hold the line and preserve commonsense policy that will make the worst polluters pay.