The Role of Natural Gas in a Just and Equitable Energy Transition

Just energy transition advocates the need for a transition to low carbon energy sources and green growth in a manner that does not generate new forms of social exclusions, human rights violations, energy poverty, or inequality. In energy poor, but natural gas rich, countries, transitioning away from dependence on biomass and leveraging natural gas resources to improve universal access to modern energy services for all is the primary focus of energy transition debates. Yet, information asymmetry on the role of natural gas in the ongoing global energy transition continues to hinder the full deployment of natural gas technologies that could play significant roles in addressing energy poverty, promoting energy security, and supporting the global energy transition targets. It will be difficult to achieve a just and equitable global energy transition without reconciling these divergent narratives on the role of natural gas in promoting a just and equitable transition. This chapter explores both the contours and significance of the just energy transition discourse, and the key contributions of natural gas to promoting a just energy transition and green growth. Second, it discusses how natural gas rich countries can maximize the full value of natural gas as an environmentally preferable transition fuel to promote sustainable green growth and energy security. By leveraging their comparative advantages in natural gas, investing in cleaner production methods, promoting investments in low carbon energy infrastructure projects, and ensuring greater institutional coordination in the implementation of low carbon and renewable energy policies, natural gas markets can play significant roles in advancing global energy transition and security.