Message from the President and the Secretary General

v David Carroll, President

and Pål Rasmussen, Secretary General, at the hugely successful G20 Natural Gas Day in Beijing. The event provided an excellent opportunity to raise the voice of gas and engage with all stakeholders in our shared energy future.

Dear IGU colleagues

With this edition of the IGU magazine we say goodbye to one IGU Secretariat team and welcome a new one! On 1 November 2016, Spain, through Gas Natural Fenosa, takes over responsibility as host of the IGU Secretariat. The nine years of the Norwegian Secretariat, graciously supported by Statoil ASA, has come to an end. By providing office facilities, personnel and back office services over nine years, Statoil ASA has made a tremendous contribution to IGU. Our organisation is stronger as a result and forever grateful to Statoil for its historic sponsorship.

Since 2007, when the Secretariat moved to Oslo, the global gas industry has witnessed major changes and corresponding challenges. IGU, in turn, has responded, building for the future to ensure our continued relevance in the marketplace and enhancing the value to our members. Together with four Presidencies, the Norwegian Secretariat pursued several developmental initiatives. Considerable progress has been made, and our work continues.

Luis Bertrán Rafecas, as incoming Secretary General, and his new team in Barcelona will endeavour to build on the contributions of their Norwegian predecessors. The Spanish team has been confirmed and will be presented to the Council in Amsterdam. As the Oslo team say goodbye, we look back with pride on their record of service to IGU and look forward to a bright future for the organisation.

Over the last six months, much of our focus has been placed on the G20. In June one of our main deliverables for 2016 took place: the G20 Natural Gas Day. The event was co-hosted by IGU and the Chinese National Energy Administration and included a full day of workshop presentations and debates which brought together G20 Energy Ministers, policymakers, CEOs and other gas industry representatives to discuss the potential of gas. Beijing Gas Group, an IGU Premium Associate Member, led by Chairperson Li Yalan, provided exceptional leadership and support in this effort.

The gas day event was referenced by the G20 Energy Ministers meeting held the following day and conveyed the compelling message of how gas can help clean up dirty urban air. A G20 Natural Gas Day Statement was reported to the Ministerial meeting by the IGU President.

As a result, natural gas was included in the official communiqué issued from the G20 Energy Ministers meeting with language that included: “We note the results of the G20 Natural Gas Day. We recognise that natural gas can be a less emission intensive fossil fuel, and can play an important and effective role in moving towards a low GHG emission energy future. We note that natural gas has become an integral part of global energy supply”.

IGU have also engaged in several other activities and arenas. In April, we met with many of you at the LNG 18 Conference and Exhibition, successfully held in Perth, Australia. The Australians provided an excellent and fruitful week, featuring many high level speakers both from the industry and the Australian political environment. The conference sessions shared insights on changes in reserves, trade, geopolitics, technological developments, regulation, stakeholder management, pricing and investment in the gas industry. During this, IGU released a new edition of the IGU World LNG Report. Our congratulations go out to Barbara Jinks, Executive Director of LNG 18, and her team for a job well done.

Everywhere we go, whether in meetings with journalists, policymakers or diplomats, and

c The Premier of Western

Australia, Colin Barnett, speaking at the LNG 18 opening ceremony. A key event in IGU’s portfolio which, once again, brought into focus the ever-growing importance of LNG in the global energy landscape.

conference presentations, we strive to raise the voice of gas. We speak about the future role of gas, about clean air, about its contributions to economic development and about gas as a partner to renewables. In this post-COP 21 world, it is critical to ensure natural gas expands its important role in the global energy mix.

This expanded advocacy effort was made possible in part by the restructuring of membership made in 2015. Your contributions allow us to engage more broadly and strategically. In May, Mel Ydreos assumed the critical new position of Director of Public Affairs, leading IGU efforts in policy development, strategic communications and outreach. We also appointed a new Events Director, Rodney Cox, a globally-recognised conference and exhibition professional, who will steward the IGU conference portfolio in a way that adds value to our global industry, strengthens our brand and ensures the financial success of these events. We welcome Mel and Rodney to these new roles.

Thank you for continued support and active engagement as we work to enhance IGU’s relevance and contributions to the global gas industry.

With best regards, David and Pål