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Carbon pathways in the global gas market: An attributional lifecycle assessment of the climate impacts of liquefied natural gas exports from the United States to Asia

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posted on 2023-06-09, 13:31 authored by Alexander Q Gilbert, Benjamin SovacoolBenjamin Sovacool
While the United States is poised to become a major exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), relatively little attention has been paid to greenhouse gas emission impacts from exporting US natural gas to Asia, a key likely destination. Using bounding scenarios of attributional lifecycle analysis, this study finds that the climate impacts of US exports to China, Japan, India, or South Korea could vary significantly, with annual global lifecycle emissions ranging from -88,000 metric tons CO2e to +170,000 metric tons CO2e per Bcf of exports. Exact emissions will depend on factors such as (a) the final end-use of the LNG, (b) domestic market impacts from increased natural gas prices in the U.S., (c) induced additional energy consumption in importing countries, and (d) methane leakage rates. Country specific GHG outcomes can differ from global GHG outcomes, with major implications for extraction and consumption based emissions accounting. The study’s results indicate the need for more robust consideration of the climate impacts of all energy exports in terms of country specific energy analyses, global climate regulations, and market uncertainty. Thus, how gas is governed becomes of critical importance, for it will determine whether LNG is a net sink or source of additional emissions.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

Energy Policy

ISSN

0301-4215

Publisher

Elsevier

Volume

120

Page range

635-643

Department affiliated with

  • SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2018-05-29

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2019-06-12

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2018-05-29

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