Message from the President and the Secretary General Dear Colleagues
environmental attributes, the high levels of efficiency when converted to heat and power,
Welcome to this edition of the IGU magazine.
to the flexibility it offers in partnership with
We hope that your 2016 is off to a great start.
renewable energies, to the transport sector and
Your IGU leadership team remains hard at work advocating for gas as a critical part of the world’s energy portfolio. At the same time, we
chemicals and fertilizer industries. But we also believe strongly that more needs
are working hard to ensure that the value to
to be done today to improve the health and well-
IGU membership continues to increase.
being of our fellow citizens. Poor air quality,
An example of the advocacy efforts was
laced with toxins and particulates, is a major
IGU’s presence at COP 21 in Paris last December.
contributor to millions of premature deaths
As world leaders gathered in Paris to discuss
every year, according to the World Health
plans for mitigating the effects of climate
Organization. The combustion of solid fuels,
change, IGU was there and actively engaged.
such as coal and charcoal, in addition to diesel,
We clearly see the need to reduce the carbon
are major contributors to poor air quality.
intensity of energy in the future, and natural x David Carroll, President and Pål Rasmussen, Secretary General.
its role as an important feedstock fuel in the
During COP 21, we released a report entitled
gas is well positioned to make a significant
Case Studies in Improving Urban Air Quality
contribution towards this. Natural gas stands
that demonstrates the role of gas in improving
apart from the other fossil fuels in view of its
the air quality in megacities around the world. The report featured real examples from Toronto, Istanbul, New York and Beijing. In each case, increased gas use has led to a measurable improvement in air quality. We featured this report in an outreach campaign, with a floor presentation by your Secretary General, numerous press interviews, a web posting, and a featured story in the Financial Times web and print editions that stressed the gas industry’s commitment to cleaning the air. A positive message and an excellent example of effective advocacy at work. We unveiled a revamped Council meeting format last October in Cartagena, Colombia, a format that allowed for more discussion of strategic issues, a greater understanding of local industry trends and market conditions, and ample time for member networking. We owe a big “muchas gracias” to our host
10 M e s s a g e f r o m t h e P r e s i d e n t a n d t h e S e c r e t a r y G e n e r a l
