Mr President,
Excellences, ladies and gentlemen, On behalf of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the UK government and the UNFCCC Secretariat for organising this Conference and their excellent arrangement and warm hospitality.
The COP26 comes at a critical time, as the world strives to recover from a harrowing pandemic that deeply hurt economies and downgraded the social condition of people, particularly in the most vulnerable regions.
As a gathering of 18 major gas producers, globally representing more than 70% of the proven natural gas reserves, the GECF recognises the challenges posed by climate change and values the manifold efforts taken by the international community to counter the environmental issues. The
GECF Member Countries have placed climate action at the forefront of their priorities by focusing on exploration of all possible options – from technology and innovation to research and development – in order to cement the role of natural gas as a solution for a balanced energy transition.
Our Environmental Knowledge and Solutions (EKS) framework has been initiated as a collaborative platform with designed measures to build capabilities and exchange expertise, specifically regarding GHG emissions mitigation practices.
With climate goals influencing the discourse on energy system, natural gas has won the battle of narrative – on pure merit – and embedded itself in all important discussions currently taking place within the framework of the UNFCCC, G20, BRICS, the World Economic Forum, and other international fora.
We specifically value the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities of nations and their respective capabilities, which is well recognised by the UNFCCC framework. This principle is a key determinant for an equitable approach towards the effort expected from each country in relation to climate change.
We consider that ensuring access to competitive and reliable energy sources is of paramount importance for a sustained economic recovery. There is a real need to look for the energy options that achieve the right balance between the post-COVID-19 economic and social requirements and the environmental constraints.
Given technology’s pivotal role in transforming the industry, we recommend that the COP26 negotiations are underpinned by technology transfer to decarbonise the energy sector, including the decarbonisation technologies of the gas industry.
The 2019 Malabo Declaration of the GECF Heads of State and Government implores the Forum to promote cooperation with African countries, where hundreds of millions have no access to electrification and clean cooking fuel, to use gas as the core source of energy in their development programmes and climate change policies.
At the GECF, we do believe that natural gas, the cleanest hydrocarbon source, has a role to play in supporting a balanced energy transition. Natural gas not only enables an immediate reduction of emissions through its substitution to more carbon-intensive fuels, but also widens energy access, including through emerging solutions such as small-scale LNG.
Natural gas is one of the global enablers for reducing emissions quickly, cost-effectively and steadfastly by replacing carbon-intensive fuels and backing up intermittent renewables. It also provides a competitive energy source due to its abundance and diversity of production centres and supply routes. All major energy scenarios that earnestly backcast the achievement of sustainable development goals signal an important role of natural gas in the global energy mix.
Nevertheless, we take into account the rising pressure on the gas industry to reduce its emissions footprint, particularly following the release of the 6th IPCC Assessment Report (AR6-WG1), which pointed out the still worsening consequences of climate change.
The gas industry, including in the GECF Member countries, is fully engaged in adopting practices and developing technology options that support the decarbonisation potential of natural gas, including carbon capture, utilisation and sequestration (CCUS) methods and production of blue hydrogen and ammonia from natural gas. Several large-scale CCS and hydrogen conversion projects are planned or under implementation in the GECF Member Countries, leveraging their strength in creating significant synergies with their existing gas resources and assets.
The recently-established GECF Gas Research Institute in Algeria is set to become an instrumental project dedicated to develop technical knowledge and novel technologies.
We support that building a circular carbon economy and developing CCUS can be appropriate responses to decarbonise our industry. These options offer practical pathways for tackling climate change, energy availability, and security issues by improving air quality, reducing carbon content from energy use, and creating high-quality jobs for various communities.
Dealing with methane emissions is one of the key priorities in the GECF Member Countries. Considerable effort is being deployed in the GECF community to improve data accuracy, abate methane along the gas supply chain, and eliminate the venting and flaring of natural gas. Notwithstanding the ongoing reductionism and cancel culture on hydrocarbons, the GECF aspires to present a balanced energy-transition roadmap for a constructive debate that will enable policymakers to instigate and, perhaps, lead a realistic energy transition.
We believe sincerely that gas offers a complete and balanced solution that the world seeks to achieve sustainable development goals.
Thank you.