And he praised the unions' call to do far more to repair pipelines, which would reduce leaks and pollution.
Yet cost-effective remedies exist: inexpensive technologies can reduce leaks and venting from existing oil and gas systems immediately; and innovative programmes exist to reduce landfill waste, which releases methane as it decomposes.
The signatories said they will reduce leaks from the gas industry, known as "fugitive emissions", by "developing and implementing national methane reduction strategies, regulations, policies, or enhanced actions including those which encourage energy efficiency and fuel shifts".
Using their technology to optimise water pressure can reduce leaks by 30% and bursts by 40%, they say, according to results from current installations with utility customers in Malaysia, the UK and Chile.
When Thames Water in 2006 failed to meet targets set by the regulator to reduce leaks and was subsequently sold, the new leadership went on to organise things differently.
In this case proppants are used to reduce leak-off via fractures.
Conversely, the need to strongly pull the head-strips with FF-Pulmo to reduce leaks, explained its superior performance and interaction.
Meanwhile Miya, the privately held venture she launched in 2007 to reduce leaks in underground water pipes, expanded its projects last year to Brazil, Manila and the Philippines.
In order to increase the mean time between failure (MTBF), improve safety and reduce leaks, system and maintenance engineers must match a material's performance and corresponding cost to process conditions.
The compound is also used to reduce leaks of X-rays from cathode ray tubes (CRT) TV sets.
