WWF - IEAs Golden Age for Gas may scupper golden opportunity for the climate

30 May 2012 02:25 PM

Responding to the recent publication of a new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) on unconventional natural gas 1, WWF said that last month Maria van der Hoeven, Executive Director of the Agency, issued a stark warning that "the world is on course for 6 degrees of warming by the end of the century".

Van der Hoeven highlighted our addiction to fossil fuels and said that now is a 'golden opportunity' to act on climate change. However, recently the IEA released a report referring not to this 'golden opportunity' but to 'Golden Rules for a Golden Age of Gas'

Nevertheless, the report explicitly points out that "natural gas cannot on its own provide the answer to the challenge of climate change". Responding, Keith Allott head of Climate Change at WWF-UK said “A golden age for gas is clearly very far from a golden age for the planet. Buried in the depths of this report is the bombshell that a global dash for unconventional gas will condemn us to warming of at least 3.5°C.

“Those who claim that shale gas is some sort of wonder fuel that can that tackle climate change are seriously misleading the public – the reality is that it is a dangerous distraction from energy efficiency and clean renewable energy.

"In a country like the UK it is important to recognise that there is not even a short term benefit to the availability of shale gas. Dirty coal was on its way out before shale gas turned up and the prospect of a dash for gas now appears to be the biggest threat to meeting UK carbon targets."

The IEA's report contains two scenarios entitled the 'Golden Rules Case' and 'Low Unconventional Gas'. In both scenarios the projection for long-term increase in the global mean temperature is significantly above 2°C. Whilst emissions are very slightly lower in the IEA's Golden Rules Case', the IEA point out that any gains from replacement of coal with gas are counteracted by higher demand and less investment in low carbon fuels:

"At the global level, there are two major effects of the Golden Rules Case on CO2 emissions, which counteract one another. Lower natural gas prices mean that, in some instances, gas displaces the use of more carbon-intensive fuels, oil and coal, pushing down emissions. At the same time, lower natural gas prices lead to slightly higher overall consumption of energy and, in some instances, to displacement of lower-carbon fuels, such as renewable energy sources and nuclear power. Overall, the projections in the Golden Rules Case involve only a small net shift in anticipated levels of greenhouse-gas emissions".

1. IEA sets out the “Golden Rules” needed to usher in a Golden Age of Gas (29.05.12): http://www.iea.org/newsroomandevents/pressreleases/2012/may/name,27266,en.html

For more information:

George Smeeton, Senior Press Officer WWF-UK
Tel: 01483 412 388, Mob: 07917 052 948, email: GSmeeton@wwf.org.uk