Message from the President and the Secretary General
In June 2021, the International Gas Union
national and international pipelines were built,
celebrated its 90th anniversary – a significant
underground storage fields were developed
milestone for what began as a grouping of
and liquefaction was introduced to transport
national gas associations from Europe and
gas by sea.
North America and became an organisation
The history of IGU has been tied closely to
representing the gas industry worldwide.
the growth of the gas industry. Today, the Union
Back in 1931 when IGU was founded,
has more than 150 members worldwide on six
the gas industry was based mainly on manu
continents, representing approximately 95% of
factured gas. Each city had its own gas works
the world gas market, and truly has become the
and local distribution network. But that same
Global Voice of Gas for a fuel that is safe,
year saw the opening of the first long-distance
sustainable, reliable and affordable and supplies
gas pipeline in the USA, bringing natural gas
about 24% of global energy demand.
from the Texas Panhandle to Chicago and
Despite this amazing history, IGU and the
heralding a period of major change for the
gas industry continue to evolve. Over the last
industry. As the transportation infrastructure
20 years, there has been increased discussion
expanded, natural gas became an increasingly
about the environmental impacts of energy
popular energy choice used in homes, by
production, distribution and end use, with a
manufacturing and processing plants and to
particular emphasis on CO2 emissions and their
generate electricity. Over time natural gas grew
affect on the climate. This concern has led to a
to play an influential role in the global economy
shift in focus to using more types of renewable
as one of the world’s primary fuel sources.
and other forms of cleaner energy. In this
This rapid expansion was based on the discovery of gas around the world and the
Agreement in 2015, IGU has promoted the
construction of the infrastructure to carry this
credentials of gas as a clean, efficient, reliable
gas to market. A complex network of new 10
context, and particularly since the Paris
Joe M. Kang (right) and Luis Bertrán Rafecas.
Message from the President and the Secretary General
and abundant energy source that is making a
