Natural Gas Sector Shifts to Ledger-Based Carbon Accounting

The natural gas sector is shifting towards ledger-based carbon accounting to track greenhouse gas emissions along its supply chain. This method provides comprehensive, consistent, and auditable tracking of emissions, enabling targeted action to reduce them.

In July 2026, the Bipartisan Policy Center convened a roundtable with industry stakeholders to explore this concept further. The discussion centered around six key takeaways: addressing shared natural gas infrastructure, determining data collection frequency, tracking individual gases separately, developing a clear roadmap for implementation, and demonstrating ledger-based accounting in the natural gas sector.

The participants agreed that natural gas is a product well-suited to ledger-based accounting due to its traceable nature and growing demand for low-emissions intensity products. The adoption of this method would help prepare natural gas producers for compliance with existing and forthcoming international trade regulations, such as the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.