Ceres, an environmental advocacy group in collaboration with the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility has coordinated an appeal by 150 investment groups with $5.4 trillion in assets under management for strict enforcement of methane regulations in the U.S.

Methane is approximately eighty-five times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide and has deleterious effects on the environment contributing to global warming in addition to exacerbating respiratory illness.

It is estimated that a 75 percent reduction in global methane emissions is possible with almost half the quantity mitigated at minimal cost.  Major oil and gas companies including Pioneer, BP and Shell have agreed to participate in methane regulation. 

The long-term problem lies in the more than one million orphan wells that release methane.  Andrew Logan, Senior Director for Oil and Gas at Ceres stated, "without strong regulation and a level playing field some companies will continue to perform poorly, and as larger companies spin off old assets to smaller operators the likelihood of leaks and fugitive emissions will increase".  Logan emphasized that methane reduction is critical to achieve both local and global targets to minimize global warming.