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The Clean Air Task Force challenges EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt on the repeal of the Clean Power Plan, the suspension of methane New Source Performance Standards for the oil and gas industry, and the rollback of air toxics policies, arguing these actions contradict the EPA's mandate to protect public health and rely on scientific evidence.

The document examines Ghana's efforts to increase local employment in its mining and oil and gas sectors. It contrasts the early, more generic approach of the mining sector with the more explicit, target-driven framework of the petroleum industry, highlighting the importance of predictability, phased quotas, and robust monitoring for foreign investment and local capacity building.

The document examines Nigeria's struggle to reduce its oil sector's dependence on foreign capital and expertise. It details the evolution from early nationalization attempts via the NNOC/NNPC to the introduction of private indigenous company incentives and the 2010 Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, highlighting how corruption, lack of financing, and technical gaps have hindered these goals.

The document analyzes the role of Statoil in Norway's economic development, highlighting how the state-owned enterprise was used to acquire technological expertise, manage multinational oil companies, and develop a high value-added domestic supply industry. It details the institutional evolution of Statoil, including the separation of regulatory and operational powers and the eventual transition to a publicly traded company, as a means to avoid oil-dependency and maximize state rent.

The document analyzes Saudi Aramco as a state-owned enterprise (SOE) that has successfully transitioned from American ownership to a globally competitive national oil company. It highlights the importance of operational autonomy and gradual nationalization in maintaining efficiency, while noting the risks associated with the company's economic dominance. The study also details Saudi Aramco's efforts to diversify the Saudi economy through industrial expansion and the In-Kingdom Total Value Add (IKTVA) program to increase localization.

The Clean Air Task Force criticizes the API's Environmental Partnership as an insufficient voluntary effort to curb methane emissions, noting that its targets for leak detection and pneumatic controller replacement are far weaker than existing state and federal regulations. The authors argue that voluntary programs cannot achieve the same emission reductions as mandatory, cost-effective standards, highlighting that oil and gas equipment in the US releases over 8 million tons of methane annually.

The document critiques the CCME's 'State of the Air' report, arguing that the Air Quality Management System (AQMS) is too narrow by focusing primarily on ozone and PM2.5 while neglecting other harmful pollutants, particularly in resource-extraction regions of western Canada. CAPE highlights significant data gaps caused by emissions reporting thresholds and calls for a more comprehensive monitoring approach that includes volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sulphur oxides (SOx), and nitrogen oxides (NOx), as well as a clearer link between air quality management levels and specific enforcement actions.

The report analyzes India's energy subsidies across coal, oil, gas, and renewable energy, noting a significant decrease in central government expenditure on energy subsidies between FY2014 and FY2016. While fossil fuels still receive the majority of support, the data indicates a trend of declining fossil-fuel subsidies and increasing support for renewables.

The report provides the first comprehensive inventory of central government energy subsidies in India, covering coal, oil and gas, renewable energy, and electricity transmission and distribution (T&D). It finds that while total quantified subsidies declined from USD 35.8 billion in FY2014 to USD 20.4 billion in FY2016, support for fossil fuels remained more significant than for renewables. The study highlights a shift in the primary recipient of subsidies toward electricity T&D and notes that many consumer subsidies fail to reach the poorest populations, instead benefiting those above the poverty line.

The document details a campaign by scientists and lawmakers to pressure the American Geophysical Union (AGU) to end its sponsorship relationship with ExxonMobil, which provided over $620,000 between 2001 and 2015. While AGU initially refused to cut ties in April 2016, citing an inability to unequivocally determine current misinformation, ExxonMobil was absent from the 2016 fall meeting sponsor list. The text notes that AGU continues to accept funding from other fossil fuel companies, such as Chevron.

The document examines the gap in the Paris Agreement regarding fossil fuel supply and proposes mechanisms to address it. It suggests that countries could use Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Long-Term Strategies (LTSs) to articulate production phase-downs. The authors argue that such actions would provide clearer signals to financial markets, foster international norms, and support a just transition for affected workers. The paper identifies several entry points within the Paris Agreement, including the enhanced transparency framework, the global stocktake, and finance reform, while acknowledging that consensus-based decision-making in the UNFCCC may require a 'coalition of the willing' to lead by example.

The document details the health impacts of oil and gas industry air pollution in Texas, noting that toxic emissions increase cancer risks in 82 counties and ozone smog causes approximately 145,000 annual asthma attacks in children. It highlights that 2.3 million Texans and over 900 schools are located within a half-mile of active operations, and argues that the suspension of EPA standards for leak inspections further endangers the population.

The policy brief highlights a paradox where the shift to renewable energy increases total utility and reduces costs but may lead to a decline in traditional economic metrics such as GDP, international trade, and government tax revenue due to the erosion of fossil fuel asset values.

The Clean Air Task Force asserts that President Trump's Executive Order to rescind the Climate Action Plan and related rules cannot be implemented by 'administrative fiat' due to the requirement for notice and comment rulemaking. The author argues that the Clean Power Plan is a cost-effective method for reducing emissions from power plants and that curbing methane emissions from the oil and gas industry is essential for public health and the climate, noting that methane is '70 times as potent a warmer as CO2' over its first 20 years.

The document argues that although South Carolina has no operating oil and gas wells, its residents suffer significant health consequences from industry-related air pollution that travels across state borders. It specifically highlights that over 12,000 childhood asthma attacks occur every summer in the state due to ozone from the oil and gas industry, with significant concentrations in the Greenville, Columbia, and Charleston areas. Additionally, it notes over 25,000 person-days of restricted activity for adults linked to ozone exposure and advocates for the maintenance of federal standards, such as those from the Bureau of Land Management, to reduce smog-causing pollutants.

The report assesses the legal responsibilities of states to protect World Heritage-listed coral reefs, using the Great Barrier Reef as a case study. It argues that Australia, as a high per-capita emitter with significant resources, is failing its obligations by not sufficiently reducing greenhouse gas emissions, permitting new fossil fuel infrastructure in the Galilee Basin, and failing to mitigate non-climate stressors such as the expansion of the Abbot Point coal port. The document recommends that the World Heritage Committee inscribe the Great Barrier Reef on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) states that Rex Tillerson is "unqualified and unfit" to serve as US Secretary of State, citing his leadership at ExxonMobil and his "role in Exxon’s ongoing campaign of climate denial and obstruction". CIEL calls for Tillerson to immediately recuse himself from all decisions involving ExxonMobil, the American Petroleum Institute, the oil and gas and petrochemical industries, and the Russian government to avoid serving corporate interests over those of the American people.

The document highlights that although Arizona has limited oil and gas activity, pollution from neighboring states—particularly from federal and tribal lands in the San Juan basin of New Mexico—contributes to ozone smog that causes thousands of childhood asthma attacks and restricted activity for adults across the state.

The document details the health impacts of oil and gas air pollution in Colorado, noting that over 380,000 people in six counties face cancer risks exceeding EPA levels of concern. It highlights that more than 32,000 children annually suffer asthma attacks due to industry-related ozone, with significant concentrations in the Denver area and Northern Front Range. While Colorado has implemented regulations, the report argues that federal standards are essential because state measures cannot control pollution drifting from Utah and New Mexico or emissions on tribal lands.

The document details how oil and gas emissions, including ozone smog and toxic air pollutants, cause asthma attacks in children and restricted activity in adults across Indiana, while highlighting the proximity of schools and residents to active oil and gas sites.