Industry-Led Dialogue on Methane Management
The 2025 Highwood Innovation Forum started as a meeting for Emissions Intelligence Steering Committee (EISC) members but quickly expanded due to strong industry interest. Over two days, technical experts and strategic leaders tackled challenges in Measurement-Informed Inventories (MIIs), mitigation, and credible methane accounting. The level of engagement showed that industry isn’t just responding to new frameworks, but working to actively participate in shaping the future. The Forum created a space for productive discussions that balanced data, strategy, and action. With numerous breakout sessions and group discussions, the Forum revealed areas of widespread industry agreement, as well as lively debates.
Key Topics and Discussions
Key sessions in the Forum included:
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The Mechanics of MIIs: Highwood Director of R&D Jeff Rutherford led a 3-hour course on framework-compliant methods for extrapolation, uncertainty quantification, and reconciliation. The course was attended by dozens of industry experts and included use of our EIP software for managing the measurement-informed inventory workflow.
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Harmonization of MIIs: A panel discussion on aligning regulatory and voluntary frameworks while maintaining efficiency and analytical integrity. The challenge is balancing compliance with operational flexibility.
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Using MIIs Internally: A look at how companies use methane measurement data for improving decision-making, capital planning, and operational efficiency.
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Financial Markets and Methane Data: A fireside chat with a major bank on how asset managers use emissions data for risk assessment and capital allocation.
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Future of MIIs: An action-oriented brainstorming session on shaping Highwood’s future offerings and industry’s priorities, policies, and investment strategies.
These discussions made it clear that while MIIs are necessary, they must be paired with action to drive real emissions reductions.
Key Takeaways
Several themes emerged from the Forum:
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Don’t Forget Mitigation – Accurate and trusted measurement is critical, but we must not lose focus on reducing emissions. There was concern that excessive quantification efforts divert resources from real reductions. Balance is needed. Automation in Highwood’s EIP helps operators handle complexity while focusing more energy on achieving reductions.
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Unanswered Questions – Measurement-informed inventories are still in “beta mode”. More questions remain than answers. Collaboration is needed to refine and align on methodologies – and more work is needed for all stakeholders to feel comfortable.
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Better Communication – Executives, regulators, field teams, and external stakeholders need clear explanations of methane data and its value. Education beyond a core group of subject-matter experts remains a challenge.
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Tension Between Consistency and Flexibility – Companies want standardization but need room for operational differences. Frameworks must thoughtfully make room for operators to navigate their unique journeys while providing structure and auditability.
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The Complexity-Credibility Trade-off – More detailed measurement and analysis may increase rigor but can be impractical and inaccessible. We must determine what level of rigor is “good enough” and consumers of methane data should demonstrate awareness of this trade-off.
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Financial Drivers – Investors increasingly require robust emissions data. Financial institutions are interested in supporting methane management. Future market opportunities likely exist for companies that can demonstrate low-methane natural gas.
Next Steps
The Forum highlighted industry’s readiness to address these challenges. Highwood will continue advocating for practical, scalable solutions that align measurement with mitigation. We will refine methodologies, push for clarity, and support operators with the tools they need.
Since 2023, we have already started this journey by developing the Emissions Intelligence Platform (EIP) which operators are using to develop MIIs in a credible, auditable and scalable manner.
Moving forward, Highwood will continue to work with regulators, investors, and operators to ensure that MIIs inform mitigation and drive meaningful emissions reductions. The goal is not just better data—but better outcomes. The Forum’s success reinforced the need for continued collaboration in shaping frameworks that are effective and achievable.
Thank you to all participants. Together, we will keep advancing methane management with pragmatic, evidence-based solutions.
