Greetings from Eldar Sætre, President and CEO of Statoil ASA Statoil has been the
agreement to reduce global emissions of
host and sponsor of
greenhouse gases. The gas industry is also
the IGU Secretariat
contributing to reduced air pollution and
since the transfer of
improved living conditions for millions of
the IGU headquarters
families around the world. The recently agreed
from Copenhagen to
UN Sustainable Development Goals further
Oslo on November 1,
emphasise the importance of access to
2007.
clean energy.
IGU celebrates its
z Eldar Sætre.
IGU has become an important global
85th anniversary in
communication channel, complementing the
2016 and can be
work done by Statoil and others. It has
proud of its history
developed a close and active relationship with
and achievements in
policymakers across the world, including with
contributing to the
organisations such as the United Nations, the
success story of gas,
G20, the International Energy Agency and the
initially manufactured
World Bank Group. These institutions are highly
(town) gas and later
influential when long-term energy policies are
natural gas. Global
formulated at national, regional and global
gas demand has increased from 2,000 billion
levels. It is important that IGU continues its
cubic metres (bcm) in 1990 to about 3,500bcm
dialogue with stakeholders outside our industry.
in 2015, and the share of gas in the global
I am also pleased by the work of the IGU
primary energy mix has reached almost 24%.
committees, at which industry experts come
Statoil believes in the further growth of gas in
together to study technical and commercial
the global energy mix.
issues along the whole gas value chain. The
For more than 40 years, oil and gas have
industry’s willingness to share competence and
been produced on the Norwegian Continental
experience across borders is important to
Shelf, and over the decades Statoil has become
ensure continued growth for gas.
the second-largest supplier of gas to Europe. The availability of natural gas for domestic
After nine years of host responsibility we hand the baton to Gas Natural Fenosa in
and export markets has increased vastly in
Barcelona – the host and sponsor of the IGU
the past decade. This fact, combined with
Secretariat from November 1, 2016. I am
the environmental benefits that gas can offer,
confident that IGU will go from strength to
has made it clear that gas will play an increas
strength under Spanish leadership, and wish
ingly important role in the transition towards
Spain and IGU all the best for the future.
a low-carbon and sustainable energy system worldwide. The role of IGU has grown in importance in the wake of the 2015 COP 21 climate
134 G r e e t i n g s f r o m E l d a r S æ t r e , P r e s i d e n t a n d C E O o f S t a t o i l A S A
Eldar Sætre President and CEO Statoil
