Southern Company Gas 2022 Sustainability Executive Summary Final 4.19.23 - Flipbook - Page 12
Through our proactive system modernization efforts and constructive
partnerships with policymakers, over the course of 20 years, we
reduced annual methane emissions from our distribution system by
approximately 50% while growing that system by over 20%.
Southern Company Gas GHG Emissions Profile
2.0
1.4
1.4
1.5
0.78
1.0
1.3
0.79
1.4
0.91
1.5
Scope 1 GHG
emissions (million
metric tons CO2e)[1],[2]
0.96
Fugitive methane
emissions (million
metric tons CO2e)[1],[2]
0.5
0.0
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
1 Emissions from gas sector for equity-owned assets, as tracked under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (40
CFR 98). Additional emissions sources for the gas distribution sector are also included consistent with the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory and ONE
Future methodologies.
2 In the spring of 2021, the EPA increased the emission factors used to calculate emissions for Industrial and Commercial meters and these changes
reflected an approximate 34% increase in emissions from these two source categories as compared to CY2019. Without the EPA emission factor change,
we would have observed a 1.3% reduction in CY2020 in overall methane emissions.
Understanding our emissions is a critical piece in
Our Nation’s Energy Future: We are a founding
developing reduction plans. In 2022, we took an
member of ONE Future, a coalition of natural gas
important step to enhance our measuring and tracking
companies working to achieve a rate of methane
capabilities by sponsoring GTI Energy’s Veritas effort to
emissions across the entire natural gas supply chain of
develop a standardized, science-based, technology-
less than 1% of total production. Through our methane
neutral approach to measuring, calculating and reporting
reduction efforts, our system is now over 99.8%
methane emissions, including the application of pilot
efficient, with a 0.195% methane emissions intensity
protocols to our distribution emissions. This strategic
rate in 2021—well below ONE Future’s 2025 goal of
collaboration will help us establish a measurement-
0.44% for natural gas utilities. Through leadership roles
informed refined baseline to more effectively track our
on the ONE Future Board of Directors and the coalition’s
progress toward net-zero operations.
technical committee, Southern Company Gas is helping
to identify emissions reduction improvement
Commitment and Advocacy
Throughout Our Value Chain
12
opportunities for the entire industry that impact the
upstream production, transmission and storage and
distribution sectors.
In addition to our own operations, Southern Company
NextGenGas Coalition: Next Generation Gas, or
Gas is committed to reducing emissions across our value
NextGenGas, is "differentiated" natural gas sourced
chain—both upstream through the gas production and
from environmentally conscious producers. It is
transmission systems that supply our gas and
produced with lower methane emissions, responsibly
downstream through our customers. We participate in a
sourced and verified by credible environmental
range of organizations, initiatives and partnerships that
performance criteria. Sourcing gas from NextGenGas
support this commitment.
suppliers builds industry partnerships that lead to a
Southern Company Gas
