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Combined heat and power (CHP) systems integrate heat and electric power production, achieving efficiencies of 70 percent or more compared to less than 45 percent for separate production. In the United States, there are over 4,100 systems with more than 82 GW of installed capacity, primarily in the chemical (29%), petroleum refining (18%), and pulp and paper (14%) industries. The DOE and EPA estimate an untapped potential of 130 GW, which could save U.S. businesses $10 billion annually and further reduce CO2 emissions by 150 million tons per year. Beyond efficiency, CHP provides critical resilience during extreme weather events, as demonstrated during Hurricane Sandy and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. While biomass-fueled CHP offers a path to net carbon negative operations by avoiding methane emissions from waste, widespread deployment is hindered by regulatory and legal barriers, including interconnection standards and backup power rates.

Earthjustice filed a lawsuit in 2011 against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failing to limit coal mine pollution, including methane, nitrogen dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and soot. Despite the availability of technology to capture or burn methane, the EPA denied a petition in 2013. Subsequently, in 2014, the Obama administration introduced an initiative to reduce methane emissions and tasked the Bureau of Land Management with studying pollution limits.

Landfills are the third largest source of anthropogenic methane in the United States, contributing 17.7 percent of all U.S. methane emissions. The EPA regulates large municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills and manages the voluntary Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) to encourage the capture of landfill gas (LFG) for energy production. While projects in landfills with existing capture systems are generally profitable, those requiring new systems may face net losses unless they leverage tax credits, carbon credits, or on-site electricity use. LFG projects can produce electricity, heat, or vehicle fuels, providing both climate benefits and local employment.

Combined heat and power (CHP) systems in the U.S. offer significantly higher energy efficiency (70% or more) than separate heat and power production. With over 82 GW of installed capacity, CHP is widely used in industrial sectors, particularly chemicals, petroleum refining, and pulp and paper. The document highlights CHP's ability to provide resilient power during extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Sandy, and its potential to reduce CO2 emissions. While there is an untapped potential of 130 GW, deployment is hindered by regulatory and legal barriers. The text also emphasizes the climate benefits of biomass-fueled CHP, which can be net carbon negative and provide reliable baseload power.

Landfills are the third largest source of anthropogenic methane in the U.S., contributing 17.7 percent of all U.S. methane emissions. The EPA regulates large municipal solid waste landfills through the Clean Air Act and RCRA, while the voluntary Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) facilitates the development of energy projects. As of October 2012, 605 operational energy projects exist across 48 states, producing 15 billion kWh of electricity and 100 billion cubic feet of gas for direct use annually. The economic viability of these projects depends heavily on whether capture systems are already in place; for example, a 3 MW turbine project with an existing system can yield a net return of $590,000 over 15 years, whereas one without a system may lose $3.5 million without additional tax credits or carbon offsets.

The FY 2014 budget proposal emphasizes investments in clean energy and energy efficiency, proposing a 30 percent increase in clean energy technology funding across all agencies to approximately $7.9 billion. Key initiatives include a $2 billion Energy Security Trust to reduce oil dependence, a $200 million 'Race to the Top' program for grid modernization and energy efficiency, and significant funding increases for the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The budget also proposes $2 billion for a satellite system to improve climate modeling and calls for the elimination of $4 billion in fossil fuel subsidies.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) has endorsed a set of fifteen water and air protection standards developed with shale gas producers in the Marcellus region, to be overseen by the Center for Sustainable Shale Development (CSSD). These standards include a ban on discharging fracking water to surface waters, a 90% water recycling requirement, and zero gas discharge to the air for wells in production. While CATF views these as the toughest standards globally, it maintains that voluntary industry agreements are not a substitute for government regulation and advocates for federal mandates on carbon capture and storage for natural gas power production.

A coalition of environmental organizations argues that proposed LNG exports from the United States could raise domestic energy prices, increase methane emissions through expanded fracking, and harm the middle class, necessitating a new economic study and a full environmental impact statement.

The report assesses worldwide methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, estimating 2010 emissions at 1,554 MMTCO2e. It argues that methane is a critical target for short-term climate mitigation due to its 20-year global warming potential (GWP) being 72 times that of carbon dioxide. The document details over 80 abatement technologies, such as vapor recovery units and infrared leak imaging cameras, while analyzing barriers including government price controls, lack of industry knowledge, and the complexities of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

The report identifies synergies and trade-offs between climate change mitigation, adaptation, and food security in the agricultural sector. It evaluates existing international funding mechanisms—including carbon markets, multilateral funds, and Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs)—and proposes the creation of domestic 'gatekeeper institutions' to coordinate resources and overcome implementation fragmentation for smallholders.

Walmart Brasil used the five-step Corporate Ecosystem Services Review (ESR) to mitigate risks in its beef supply chain in the Amazon. The assessment identified critical dependencies on soil quality, water purification, climate stability, and freshwater provision. In São Félix do Xingu, the company found that deforestation—driven by poor pasture management and infrastructure-led demand—threatens these services. To meet its 2015 goal of zero-deforestation beef, Walmart Brasil is exploring strategies including a dedicated 'zero-deforestation' brand, investment in monitoring tools for land tenure and the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR), and collaborations with partners like The Nature Conservancy to promote sustainable intensification of cattle ranching.

The report finds that global methane emissions from landfills are likely 10-15 Tg CH4/yr, significantly lower than the ~35 Tg reported by IPCC-based methodologies. It argues that developing countries will not follow the historical trajectory of industrialized nations toward heavy landfill reliance due to established recycling cultures, space constraints in megacities, and high organic waste content. The author identifies a 'gulf' between waste management field studies and climate modeling, noting that IPCC defaults often overestimate landfilling rates and underestimate food waste fractions. Among mitigation options, aerobic composting is highlighted as the most viable for developing countries because it is low-cost, suited to high-organic waste, and reduces leachate. Projections suggest that expanding composting could reduce 2030 methane emissions by approximately 34% compared to a reference scenario, while combined incineration and composting could reduce them by 43%.

Coal mining accounts for 8 percent of global methane emissions. While significant potential exists for abatement through degasification and ventilation air methane (VAM) oxidation, progress is hindered by policy, financial, and technological barriers. In China, legal frameworks and conflicting safety/emission standards create hurdles, while India lacks resource assessments. Russia faces issues with licensing and inefficient degasification systems. In the US, split-estate ownership on federal lands and a lack of federal mandates limit viability. The report suggests that while large-scale investment is available, a lack of small-scale funding for design and demonstration is a primary obstacle, proposing revolving funds and micro-loans as solutions.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) estimates that 677 million tons of sustainable biomass could be available in the U.S. by 2030, enough to produce 54 billion gallons of ethanol or 732 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. The report advocates for a shift toward non-food biofuels and biopower sources—such as perennial energy crops, agricultural residues, and waste materials—while explicitly excluding whole trees due to concerns over carbon storage loss. It emphasizes that bioenergy must be scaled appropriately to avoid competing with food production and causing indirect land-use changes that could eliminate climate benefits.

The report identifies systemic barriers to evidence-based decision-making regarding hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the U.S., including industry interference in academic and government research, legal loopholes in federal environmental laws, and a lack of transparency regarding chemical use. It highlights how non-disclosure agreements in legal settlements silence affected citizens and hide scientific data. The document provides a framework for communities to seek reliable information and calls for comprehensive laws requiring baseline and ongoing environmental monitoring and full chemical disclosure.

The report argues that global meat consumption, particularly beef, is a primary driver of tropical deforestation due to extreme land-use inefficiency. It highlights that beef uses about three-fifths of global agricultural land while providing less than 5% of global protein. The authors propose solutions including increasing livestock productivity on existing lands, shifting diets from beef to more land-efficient proteins like poultry or pork, and eliminating government subsidies that encourage forest clearing. The document also examines the role of corporate moratoriums and the environmental costs of confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs).

The document highlights the climate risks associated with increased oil and gas production in the Arctic, specifically the emissions of methane and black carbon. It argues that the Arctic is uniquely vulnerable, with temperatures rising at twice the global average, and that the potential for an 'oil and gas rush' could exacerbate this. The authors propose a series of technical and policy interventions to mitigate these impacts, including the elimination of venting, the use of vapor recovery units, the adoption of ultra low sulfur diesel, and the establishment of standardized monitoring and reporting protocols.

The document contends that the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) fails to ensure environmental integrity in the waste sector, creating perverse incentives that prioritize waste disposal over recycling and composting. It highlights the displacement of informal waste pickers, the issuance of carbon credits for 'business-as-usual' projects that lack additionality, and the failure of landfill gas capture systems to prevent significant methane leakage. Specific examples include the Timarpur-Okhla plant in Delhi, the Bisasar landfill in Durban, and incinerators in China.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) evaluates the EPA's New Source Performance Standards for the oil and natural gas industry, noting that the rules will reduce VOCs by hundreds of thousands of tons and methane by 1.0 to 1.7 million tons annually. However, CATF criticizes a 2.5-year delay in requiring 'green-completion' for fracked wells and the total exclusion of the natural gas transmission and storage segment, which emits over 2 million tons of methane and 65,000 tons of VOC per year.

The document argues that the EPA's proposed air pollution standards for the natural gas sector are essential for protecting public health and the environment, particularly through the implementation of 'green completion' technology to capture methane and smog-forming emissions from fracked wells. The authors contend that these standards are cost-effective, as the sale of recovered gas offsets compliance costs, and that they will not hinder domestic production, citing examples from Colorado and Wyoming. The letter specifically rejects proposed industry loopholes from the American Petroleum Institute (API), such as VOC percentage thresholds and implementation delays, which the authors claim would exempt millions of tons of pollution and undermine the standards' effectiveness.