Using Credible Metrics to Unlock Capital for Methane Reduction

By Paula Gant and Erin Blanton

Methane reduction is a defining challenge for today’s energy systems. While progress depends on technological innovation, it also requires financing models to unlock capital and position emissions reduction as a value opportunity.

In the oil and gas sector, projects to scale methane cuts often struggle to access funding because investors need assurance that reductions are measurable, verifiable, and durable. Connecting credible data to investment decisions is now essential to advancing energy goals and delivering environmental, economic, and safety benefits.

To help close this gap, the Methane Finance Working Group was launched at COP28 to create credible pathways to fund methane and flaring reduction projects. The Working Group brings together financial institutions, environmental organizations, and industry leaders to design financing mechanisms that reward verified emissions performance. This effort aligns directly with GTI Energy’s Veritas initiative, which delivers science-aligned measurement and verification frameworks so the data behind investment decisions is trusted, transparent, and actionable.

Why financing must be part of the solution

Methane abatement is one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to reduce emissions. Proven technologies already exist to detect, capture, and prevent leaks across the value chain, yet many opportunities remain untapped because there is no consistent way to turn emissions reductions into investable outcomes. This shifts the focus from enforcing compliance to motivating better performance. By creating a tangible upside for companies that deliver verified results, it puts the carrot squarely on the table, turning methane reduction into a strategic business advantage that improves efficiency, reliability, and long-term competitiveness.

The Methane Finance Working Group offers a practical approach by adapting tools investors already use, such as sustainability-linked loans and bonds, and tying them to methane-reduction metrics. This allows companies to access capital through familiar mechanisms while embedding accountability for emissions outcomes. As financing terms become more closely linked to measured performance, capital can flow to projects that deliver real reductions across national oil companies, independent producers, and integrated energy companies.

Credible data unlocks investment, flexibility drives scale

Financing depends on trust, and trust is built on reliable data that allows investors, regulators, and energy buyers to evaluate risk and impact with confidence. The Methane Finance Working Group’s guidance emphasizes measurement integrity and transparency, so investment decisions reflect actual performance, not projections. GTI Energy’s Veritas initiative strengthens this foundation by providing practical, science-based frameworks for methane measurement, reconciliation, and reporting. These frameworks create a compatible approach to methane performance, reducing uncertainty for investors and enabling responsible capital deployment.

But credibility alone is not enough to move capital at scale. Operators vary widely in their technical capacity and data maturity. Some can deploy advanced measurement systems today, while others are still building foundational capabilities. The Working Group’s framework recognizes this reality and provides tiered pathways that support immediate action while advancing toward greater rigor over time. This structure enables financing approaches that align with different levels of operational readiness while still maintaining transparency and accountability.

This combination of credible data and adaptable financing is especially important in emerging markets where investment needs are high. Methane reduction projects can lower emissions, capture saleable gas, and improve operational efficiency while also supporting economic development. By meeting operators where they are and creating a clear trajectory for progress, investors can accelerate methane reduction today without sacrificing integrity.

Turning methane reduction into measurable value

Unlocking capital at the pace required to reduce methane emissions depends on aligning credible measurement with financing. The Methane Finance Working Group provides a market pathway, and Veritas delivers the technical assurance that makes those pathways investable. Together, they demonstrate how methane reduction can move beyond compliance to drive performance and competitiveness.

Progress now depends on continued collaboration among investors, engineers, and operators to scale these solutions globally. With better data, clear metrics, and credible frameworks, capital can support projects that cut emissions and strengthen energy systems.

To learn more about how credible methane data enables capital deployment, watch our Future Focused webinar, “Financing Credible Methane Solutions — Why Does it Matter?”