Clean energy transition is one of the cornerstone discussions now days. Speaking at the virtual event Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), Yury Sentyurin, said the GECF members fully embrace the concept of circular carbon economy with the aim of carbonising gas and securing the transition to net zero carbon emissions. GECF organized the 50th edition of the GECF Gas Lecture Series, entitled ‘A Clean, Secure, and Affordable Energy Future Requires Electricity, Gas, and Infrastructure’. Speaking at the event, Sentyurin said GECF member countries have hit the ground with a demonstrative forecast of leading the way in terms of global green energy transition. Qatar is playing a great role in the area of environmental, social and governance investments, he added. “Climate action is not a zerosum game. There isn’t a lowcost alternative yet for heating industrial buildings, producing electricity, cooking meals, riding a motor vehicle, transporting maritime cargo, boarding an airplane. The existing renewable energy sources like wind, sun, and water cannot yet sufficiently replace hydrocarbons. On the other hand, natural gas is abundantly available. It can, in theory, complement the rise of fuels such as hydrogen, via blue hydrogen based on Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) technologies,” he noted. He said, according to the latest edition of the Global Gas Outlook 2050, global primary energy demand is projected to grow by 24 percent by 2050, returning to its 2019 level as early as 2023. Natural gas will be the only hydrocarbon resource to increase its share from 23 percent to 28 percent in 2050 as it is one of the global enablers for reducing emissions quickly, cost effectively and steadfastly by replacing carbon intensive fuels as well as backing up intermittent renewables
President of International Gas Union (IGU), Dr Joe M Kang, made the case for natural gas. The role of natural gas as an enabler in the energy transition while underpinning economic activity will be an important theme in the international energy discussion in the years ahead, he said. He argued that only by marshalling a collective effort the world can guarantee a prosperous and secure future. “The (climate change) debate in recent years has been intense and loud, but the world has not come far in aligning on an approach that enables us to meet the enormous challenges of decarbonisation, energy access and energy security.” According to Kang, there is recognition that different nations face different challenges and have different means to achieve a pathway toward UN Sustainable Development Goals and the provisions of the Paris Agreement. “For billions of people in the developing world – with low CO2 per capita and low access to energy – there is no greater challenge than achieving affordable, secure and clean supply of energy. In richer nations – with high CO2 per capita – resources and infrastructure are in place to accelerate decarbonisation.” “The International Gas Union believes an achievable transition is one that delivers clean, secure and affordable energy, using electrons and natural gas and hydrogen molecules, and the necessary infrastructure to help individual countries meet the UN Sustainable Development and Paris Goals,” he explained. "He called on all governments to let the energy industry innovators compete to see how best this can be achieved by a variety of means, and in so doing “ensure the greatest opportunities for citizens around the world – the opportunities a just energy transition should provide.” “No justice will be served if achieving the Paris (Accord) targets involves actions that stymie economic growth and prosperity, or that deny billions of people access to much needed affordable energy and clean cooking fuels. Picking only electrical pathways will lead to lost opportunities, higher costs and a slower transition for millions of people.
