reporting greenhouse gas emissions

ExxonMobil has reported our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions since 1998. We base our calculations on the guidance provided in the internationally endorsed Compendium of Greenhouse Gas Emission Estimation Methodologies for the Oil and Gas Industry (American Petroleum Institute) and the Petroleum Industry Guidelines for Reporting Greenhouse Gas Emissions (International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association). Calculating GHG emissions from specific petroleum products, such as gasoline or diesel fuel, is straightforward because their carbon content is well-known and essentially all of this carbon is converted to carbon dioxide when the fuel is combusted as a transportation fuel. However, identifying which fuel sales are attributed to which member of the petroleum industry is difficult because the supply system for crude and petroleum products is complex, with multiple changes of ownership.

There is a wide range in the fraction of GHG emissions that are generated from petroleum industry operations relative to consumer use of petroleum products. On a global basis, the International Energy Agency estimates that on average about 10 percent of petroleum-related GHG emissions are from industry operations. ExxonMobil believes that producers, refiners, distributors, and end-users should each be responsible for managing and reporting the emissions generated from activities under their control. To this end, we are taking actions to reduce emissions from our own operations and are working on technologies to help consumers reduce their emissions.