Don't underestimate the role of gas

By Tom Nicholls The vital role natural gas can play in the energy mix is poorly understood and the industry must make a more concerted effort to get its message across to policymakers and other stakeholders, says Datuk Rahim Hashim, incoming president of the International Gas Union (IGU). Malaysia, the second Asian country to hold the IGU presidency, will take over from Argentina at the end of this week's conference; during its triennium – which will come to a climax at the 25th WGC, in Kuala Lumpur, in 2012 – the IGU will focus on sustainability and promoting gas as a sustainable long-term energy source. "Gas is environmentally friendly, the lowest-carbon fossil fuel and it's plentiful," sa