London, 16.10.2024

The Office of the Secretary General

International Gas Union

PRESS RELEASE

IGU welcomes the latest edition of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) World Energy Outlook 2024, and its call for greater investment in and expansion of clean energy.

However, it is critical that investment in gas production and infrastructure also continue as both gas supply and infrastructure are critical in supporting the scaling up of renewables in the global electricity sector, and gas is fundamental to this process as it is a cleaner burning fuel that can immediately displace coal, especially in the fast-developing Asian countries.

We also welcome the Outlook’s recognition of the importance of energy security amid geopolitical turmoil, as the robustness of our energy systems is highly dependent on the continuance of investment in gas and its infrastructure. The flexibility of gas has historically underpinned stable and secure energy systems worldwide and will continue to do so through the entire global energy transition by balancing the intermittency of renewable energy sources.

We commend IEA’s emphasis on the lack of basic access to energy for billions of people in developing economies. As the Outlook notes, no global energy transition will be possible while millions lack access to secure and affordable energy. Therefore, it is indisputable that natural gas is a proven source of affordable and secure energy to millions of households and businesses in the developing world.

We look forward to our continued cooperation with the IEA and to IGU’s attendance to the Global Energy Security Summit taking place in London next year.

For further information, please contact: Neill.Tannock@igu.org, IGU Strategic Communications Advisor. Tel. +44 7918 110344.

About the International Gas Union

The IGU represents the global gas value chain with members in over 80 countries, covering over 90% of the global gas market across every segment of the value chain, from the supply of natural and decarbonised gas, renewable gas and hydrogen, through to their transmission and distribution, and all the way to the point of use. The IGU organises the world’s leading international gas events, including the World Gas Conference (WGC2025), the World LNG Conference (LNG2026), and the International Gas Research Conference (IGRC2027) conference series.