A Better Way to Measure Climate Footprints

Abstract

Chapter 3 presents the Oil Climate Index plus Gas (OCI+), the first open-source tool that assesses and compares the different climate effects of the wide range of oils produced around the world, taking into account upstream, midstream, and downstream emissions. The chapter walks through the motivation behind creating the OCI+ with collaborators from Stanford University and the University of Calgary. The underlying models composing the OCI+ are discussed and visualized in detail. Model data and uncertainty are fleshed out. The chapter discusses methods for evaluating OCI+ emissions using remote sensing, satellites that spot flares from space, and an expanding array of methane measurement instruments. Possible avenues to build out the OCI+ to include other air pollutants are presented. The chapter concludes by laying out estimated ranges of currently modeled emissions intensities of global oil and gas supplies.