Message from the President and the Secretary General

In June 2021, the International Gas Union celebrated its 90th anniversary – a significant milestone for what began as a grouping of national gas associations from Europe and North America and became an organisation representing the gas industry worldwide.

Back in 1931 when IGU was founded, the gas industry was based mainly on manufactured gas. Each city had its own gas works and local distribution network. But that same year saw the opening of the first long-distance gas pipeline in the USA, bringing natural gas from the Texas Panhandle to Chicago and heralding a period of major change for the industry. As the transportation infrastructure expanded, natural gas became an increasingly popular energy choice used in homes, by manufacturing and processing plants and to generate electricity. Over time natural gas grew to play an influential role in the global economy as one of the world’s primary fuel sources.

This rapid expansion was based on the discovery of gas around the world and the construction of the infrastructure to carry this gas to market. A complex network of new

Joe M. Kang (right) and Luis Bertrán Rafecas. national and international pipelines were built, underground storage fields were developed and liquefaction was introduced to transport gas by sea.

The history of IGU has been tied closely to the growth of the gas industry. Today, the Union has more than 150 members worldwide on six continents, representing approximately 95% of the world gas market, and truly has become the Global Voice of Gas for a fuel that is safe, sustainable, reliable and affordable and supplies about 24% of global energy demand.

Despite this amazing history, IGU and the gas industry continue to evolve. Over the last 20 years, there has been increased discussion about the environmental impacts of energy production, distribution and end use, with a particular emphasis on CO2 emissions and their affect on the climate. This concern has led to a shift in focus to using more types of renewable and other forms of cleaner energy. In this context, and particularly since the Paris Agreement in 2015, IGU has promoted the credentials of gas as a clean, efficient, reliable and abundant energy source that is making a

major contribution today in reducing CO2 and other health-impacting emissions.

But challenges remain and the natural gas industry throughout the world will continue to need a strong voice and and clear message if it is to continue to play a major role in a lowcarbon future. It must be made clear that natural gas does not stand in the way of the energy transition but enables it.

As the Global Voice of Gas, IGU will spearhead the industry’s effort in making a strong case for the continuing energy role of gas to policymakers, politicians and other stakeholders. It will be very important to highlight our industry’s expertise and investment in infrastructure that will be a driver and enabler of new gases like biomethane, synthetic gas and hydrogen and that our members are involved in the development of a wide range of new technologies that will have important roles in decarbonisation.

New initiatives

Under the USA Presidency from 2015-18, IGU rose to the challenge by implementing new initiatives to more effectively advocate for the broader gas industry. There is a way to go, but our members enthusiastically supported these efforts to provide more powerful messages through strengthening the Global Voice of Gas. Since 2018, the Korean Presidency has brought a new focus to IGU and its advocacy efforts by embracing new renewable gases as part of the IGU gas family and new technologies to decarbonise the gas industry. These changes will allow IGU and the global gas industry to have an important long-term role in the energy transition.

Numerous steps have been taken to realise IGU’s new vision. We have: l Established dedicated resources for policy development and public affairs and institutionalised our capability to serve as the Global Voice of Gas. l In the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, rescheduled all the flagship events –

WGC2022 in Daegu, Korea, LNG2023 in St

Petersburg, Russia and IGRC2024 in Banff,

Canada, as well as the next cycle of events in 2025 in Beijing, China, in Doha, Qatar in 2026, in Tehran, Iran in 2027 and in Milan,

Italy in 2028, to navigate the disruption of the pandemic and change uncertainty to certainty regarding the holding of these flagship events. l Reorganised the strategic partnership relations with influential global bodies such as the International Energy Agency and the

United Nations with a strong focus on the

Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN

Framework Convention on Climate Change.

We have participated in all editions of this critical forum from COP1 to COP25 (and will be at COP26), while maintaining our influence on G20 Energy Policies, organising

G20 Gas Days in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021.

These are just some of key elements of the IGU advocacy evolution in recent years. We have also strengthened our institutional capabilities and governance. We have: l Adopted a new Code of Ethics for Business

Conduct, making internal procedures available to all members on the IGU website, and increasing member benefits in different ways, such as the free digital magazine, the

Global Voice of Gas, discounts for IGU flagship events and building up finances to allow IGU to deliver a professional

Secretariat. l Thanks to close cooperation between the Korean

Presidency and

Spanish Secretariat, improved management transparency and organisational finances with better service and more benefits. l Transformed the IGU operations through the establishment of a permanent headquarters in London which will formally take over from the Spanish Secretariat in August 2021. A professional staff will oversee the integration of all IGU operations while supporting the

IGU Presidency in its leadership of the Union.

We believe that natural gas industry has a bright future as the world transitions to a lowcarbon future. IGU will always work to ensure that our members continue to have a voice and role in the development of a long-term and sustainable future energy mix.

We hope you enjoy reading this updated edition of our long-cherished organisation’s history.

On behalf of the International Gas Union

Joe M. Kang President Luis Bertrán Rafecas Secretary General

Z IGU has participated in all editions of the critical COP forum. COP25 was held in Madrid under the presidency of Chile in December 2019 and activities included an urban air quality event addressed by Luis Bertrán Rafecas (inset).