“This methane target complements Shell’s ambition to cut the 'net carbon footprint' of our energy products by around half by 2050, which we announced in November 2017,” said Shell integrated gas and new energies director Maarten Wetselaar, arguing it represents a "further demonstration of our continued focus on tackling greenhouse gas emissions." To attain the methane target, Shell said it will deploy  infrared cameras to scan for methane emissions, use advanced technology to repair leaks, and replace high-bleed pneumatically-operated controllers with low emission alternatives.

The target for methane – which has a higher impact on global warming than carbon dioxide when released into the atmosphere – will be measured against a baseline Shell leak rate, which it currently estimates to range between 0.01% and 0.8% across the company’s oil and gas assets.

Shell's statement quoted Mark Radka, head of UN Environment’s energy and climate branch, saying: “This commitment by Shell is encouraging in itself, but also because of the signals it sends to the rest of the industry. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, but it has a relatively short lifetime in the atmosphere; that means reducing methane emissions brings immediate climate benefits, buying some time while we work out longer term solutions."  Shell's Wetselaar added that the industry needed to get better at measuring methane emissions: “This is an industry wide issue and we need to fix this fast."

In 2017, Shell alongside other producers, organisations and academics developed a set of Methane Guiding Principles, which has now been signed by 16 companies. The Anglo-Dutch supermajor has also been a partner in the World Bank-backed Global Gas Flaring Reduction (GGFR) partnership since 2002, and in 2015 was a founding signatory to its Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 initiative.  However in 2017, Shell's overall greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) increased year on year, and gas flaring within its upstream business increased by 8%.