International Gas Union: Gas for a “Friendly Planet”
Opening to much fanfare, the theme of the 26th World Gas Conference, held this year in Paris, France, is “Going together towards a friendly planet.”
This year's focus was highlighted in the opening speech given by the International Gas Union's outgoing president, Jerome Ferrier, who called the gathering a unique opportunity for the industry and the Union as Paris is organizing a meeting for global climate change in December of this year.
He stated: “The scientific community has highlighted that to limit climate change to less than 2 degrees C within the century, it is necessary to contain the global emissions to less than 560 gigatons by 2050.”
According to him, this comprises the carbon budget for mankind for the next 35 years.
“The challenge, therefore, is to optimize the energy mix to meet the needs of the global economy, and in particular, of developing countries in Asia and Africa, which will see and increase of their population by close to 1.5 billion people over the next 20 years whilst ensuring that we will remain within the limits of this carbon budget,” he explained.
Mr. Ferrier said that according to the International Energy Agency, it is possible to do this, but it would mean an increase in the pace of replacing coal with natural gas, mainly for power generation, to ensure a reduction of 50% of CO2 emissions and reduce other pollutants.
He added, “With more than 130 years of proved conventional reserves, and a comfortable level of unconventional resources, natural gas is able to ensure the needs for the development of the global electric power while respecting and complying with the carbon budget.
“The optimal energy mix for power generation in the next 50 years rests, obviously, on an association of gas and renewable energies.”
He observed the “virtuous pathway” that has been followed in the last 10 years in North America with the consequence of a significant reduction of CO2 emissions, and the trade of gas that has shown a similar effect in Asia and Africa, to reduce the share of coal burning in those countries' energy mix.
Now is the moment, he said, to state that gas is not just a transition fuel, but should be the long-term basis for the world's energy mix, noting that countries as divergent as the US and China have put gas at the center of their strategies for the next 25 years.
“This Congress is the moment to remind us all the important contribution that natural gas can bring to solving the energy and climate challenges of the century.”
The French government, Mr. Ferrier said, is very aware of that, as senior ministers within it were scheduled to speak at the WGC on Wednesday.
With representatives from 91 countries, the International Gas Union (IGU) represents 95% of the global gas market, according to Mr. Ferrier, who said the organization's objective was to work for the leading role that gas deserves within the global energy mix. France, he noted, has chaired the IGU from 2012 to 2015, following in the footsteps of Argentina and Malaysia.
“This choice shows the will on the part of the organization to find a harmonious balance in the representation of the various continents, and to ensure that all our industry can avail itself of the experience which we have at all stages of the gas chain on the main, regional markets for natural gas and LNG.”
-Drew Leifheit