US climate adviser meets energy industry to align climate goals

Oil and gas industry representatives and White House officials discussed emissions and plans to decarbonise the economy.

Representatives from the oil and gas industry and the United States’s National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy struck a cooperative tone following a meeting in which the two sides discussed how companies can align with the Biden administration’s ambitious climate goals. Industry and White House officials would not divulge details of the discussions after the meeting. Four sources familiar with the meeting on Zoom told the Reuters news agency it focused on emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from oil and gas production and on the industry’s role in the administration’s plans to decarbonise the US economy. American Petroleum Institute (API) President Mike Sommers said the trade group emphasised that oil and gas will continue to play a significant role in global energy for decades, but added that the organisation is interested in tackling climate change. “We are committed to working with the White House to develop effective government policies that help meet the ambitions of the Paris Agreement and support a cleaner future,” Sommers said in a statement.