Message from the President and the Secretary General

Dear Colleagues, up another successful World Gas Welcome to the latest edition of the Conference, in Washington DC. IGU magazine, welcome to the new It was a truly monumental event, not 2018-2021 triennium and welcome just because of its size, diversity of to Korea. participants and the richness of This past June, which seems as if it debates, but also because it concluded were just a few days ago, IGU wrapped loud and clear that Gas is Back!

This year’s WGC made evident the gas industry’s openness to business and discussion, as it included leaders not only from within the industry, but also from the broader community of energy, academia, civil society, governance (regional, national and global) and even finance.

Thus, we extend our sincere congratulations to President David Carroll and the USA Presidency team for their successfully completed triennium. Their success is evident, as IGU raised its voice, and the global voice of gas reached ever-wider audiences and influenced the most critical global energy debates. Thanks to these advocacy efforts, gas was re-inserted into the global energy conversation and, during the Korean triennium, we will work hard to ensure that the vital environmental role of gas in the sustainable energy future solidifies further.

Your new IGU management team will continue to build on IGU’s accomplishments and deliver on its mission to be a key credible advocate of the political, technical and economic progress of the global gas industry. We will do so, while putting greater efforts into ensuring that we deliver value to our members, who are this organisation’s backbone and reason for being.

Opportunities, challenges and the future The world is on the brink of an unprecedented global energy transformation, while facing the challenge of meeting growing global energy demand, the need to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, and the obligation to bring affordable energy to the billion people without it. Gas has a clear role in addressing these challenges, as a clean, abundant, flexible and cost-effective fuel.

Over the past decade, gas has enjoyed the position of being the fastest-growing energy source, after renewables. To sustain this growth and reach its full market share potential, we, the global gas industry, need to focus on three levers: costcompetitiveness, security of supply and sustainability.

While there is ample optimism and clear sense that gas is back, materialising the full growth potential will require a concerted and deliberate industry effort. Success is not the default, and numerous pressures will continue to mount. We are fully confident that gas is a critical component in a sustainable energy future; however, it is imperative to also communicate that clearly and credibly to the global community.

This year will conclude with the main climate event, since the 2015 Paris Agreement – the 24th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP24) in Katowice, Poland, which will determine the direction and speed of the global efforts to combat climate change. IGU will be there.

The Korean Presidency will work to implement its commitment to a sustainable future, powered by gas under three action areas: showing environmental leadership, enhancing market vitality and propelling value creation. The foundation of Korea’s workplan will rest on three pillars of strong advocacy, transparent governance and delivering value to members.

Join us, and let’s keep the global voice of gas strong, credible, and united together. A very large number of energy professionals worldwide contribute to the valuable work of the organisation and benefit from its vast network. Join nearly 1,000 senior professionals in the IGU committees and task forces this triennium to collaborate on solving the industry’s most pressing issues and groundbreaking developments to advance the global gas industry. Our committees span the gas value chain – their output will make a difference.

We are thrilled to roll up our sleeves and get to work. Together, we will materialise a Sustainable Future Powered by Gas!

With best regards, Joo-Myung (Joe) Kang IGU President Luis Bertrán Rafecas IGU Secretary General

Outgoing IGU President David Carroll hands over to Joo-Myung (Joe) Kang at the close of WGC 2018.