Backed by seven key civil society organizations, the Say No to LNG global shipping campaign has launched the ‘Beyond Methane Pledge’, an ambitious initiative seeking to halt the expansion of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and other methane-based fuels, and phase-out their use in all sectors – globally. The participating non-profit organizations include Say No to LNG, Stand.earth, Clean Arctic Alliance,  Opportunity Green, and NABU.

The pledge calls upon key industry leaders, including ship owners, cargo owners, ports, cities, policymakers, energy producers, suppliers/utilities, transporters, and financial institutions, to take decisive action by committing to a sustainable energy future free from the dangers of methane.

LNG, and other methane-based fuels such as bio-methane and e-methane, are primarily composed of methane — an extremely powerful greenhouse gas with 80 times more global warming potential than carbon dioxide in the short-term. Methane leaks throughout supply chains and poses significant risks to the climate, environment, and public health.

If global methane emissions are reduced by 45%, we could prevent 260,000 premature deaths, 775,000 asthma-related hospital visits, 73 billion hours of lost labor from extreme heat, and 25 million tonnes of crop losses every year.

LNG is also a poor investment: LNG infrastructure will become costly stranded assets for taxpayers and investors. Every dollar to LNG locks us into a fossil fuel future and takes away investments that lower the cost of true zero-emission fuels.

“LNG is not a bridge fuel; it’s a bridge to climate disaster. The Beyond Methane Pledge is a powerful tool for collective action. Commitments around the world to reject LNG in favour of zero-emission solutions that justly address climate, pollution, and biodiversity threats will help us reach the future we need,” stated Curtis Martin, Canada Shipping Campaigner, Say No to LNG Campaign

 The Beyond Methane Pledge calls on signatories to demonstrate their commitment to a sustainable future by taking immediate and concrete steps:

• Halt Expansion: Stop any plans or activities that would expand the use of LNG and other methane-based fuels, immediately and no later than 2025. This includes halting the construction of new infrastructure, and ceasing additional financial investments in projects.
• Phase Out Use: A complete phase-out of LNG and other methane-based fuels by 2030, including direct use as a fuel, and any activities that enable use by others (such as financing, bunkering, and transporting).
• Promote Transparency: Use language that accurately reflects the climate impact of methane and the full lifecycle emissions of LNG and other methane-based fuels. This includes acknowledging the 20-year global warming potential of methane, which is over 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide, and the well-to-wake detrimental social, health, environmental, and climate impacts of LNG and methane throughout their lifecycle.

Signatories of this pledge will safeguard investments against stranded LNG assets, ensure regulatory compliance, strengthen accountability and transparency, and position themselves as climate leaders in this rapidly-evolving maritime sector.

The Pledge also encourages supporters to become pledge champions, calling for immediate action on methane emissions and halting investments in the LNG supply chain, including marine fuels and shipping.

“Beyond safeguarding our environment and communities most vulnerable to the effects of the climate crisis, saying no to LNG also makes economic sense: channeling investment towards unsustainable LNG projects risks sinking billions in finances in stranded assets that could otherwise have funded solutions aligned with global climate targets,” said Isabela Keuschnigg, Legal Officer at Opportunity Green. 

Dr Sian Prior, Lead Advisor to the Clean Arctic Alliance, declared: “As shipping in the Arctic switches away from heavy fuels responsible for high emissions of black carbon pollution, and moves to cleaner polar fuels, LNG should be dismissed as a potential alternative. Far from kickstarting the decarbonisation of Arctic shipping, replacing one short-lived climate pollutant such black carbon with another – methane will merely prolong the Arctic climate crisis. The shipping industry must look elsewhere for energy sources, including wind power, that do not rely on the burning of fossil fuels.”

  (Image from Say No to LNG)