Contributing to clearer skies

Heating and cooking are vital parts of our day to day. The ease, convenience and speed of a gas stove or hot water system is just a part of life. It’s something so innate, we often take it for granted.

The same goes for manufacturing. Creating the industrial heat needed to manufacture vital items like construction materials is simple with natural gas.

In some parts of the world, it isn’t necessarily as simple. Relying on higher emissions fuel sources like coal and wood for energy or heat can lead to air pollution, including the serious health issue of poor indoor air quality.

Cleaner Skies

In many parts of Asia, natural gas is replacing coal, dung, and wood fires, meaning clearer skies for our regions and cleaner energy for our neighbours.

In China for example, the Blue Sky Plan is marking a transition from coal to liquefied natural gas (LNG) in energy generation.

From a Tongzhou village in China, Mrs Bo (70) and Mr Wang (73) spoke to the Sydney Morning Herald about the difference switching to gas had made for their quality of life.

“Gas has made the air cleaner, and it is more convenient” said the former.

According to the International Energy Association (IEA) and energy ministers around the world, natural gas has a big role to play in cutting down air pollution globally.

Each year the IEA releases the World Energy Outlook report, which provides analysis and outlines detailed projections for the future of global energy. In 2019, the World Energy Outlook highlighted the increasing global demand for energy, as much as 1% a year to 2040.

According to the outlook, as much as 35% of new demand will be met by natural gas.

The report highlighted the role natural gas can play as the cleanest traditional fuel source. The report states that switching from coal to gas can provide “quick wins for global emissions reductions” as, on average, it produces 33% fewer carbon emissions than coal per unit of heat.

This means new gas developments that send fuel to the Asia-Pacific region, such as the Scarborough gas project in WA, are contributing to clearer skies and providing reliable energy across the region