On the second day of Gastech 2024, in the day’s opening session, US Secretary of State, John Kerry said: “You're going to see some imbalances here and there, but the basic direction is towards de-carbonisation and we've made progress in that.
“The reality is that people have now accepted a transitional understanding, and this transitional understanding requires new technology, as well as storage, solar and wind,” he said.
Secretary Kerry’s message on transnational collaboration was echoed in the second ministerial panel of the conference, ‘energy security and diversity in times of geopolitical uncertainty.’
Ministers from Hungary, Libya, Ghana, and the Secretary General of the International Energy Forum addressed the global priorities of energy security, economic development, and wide-scale emissions reduction.
Speaking to the importance of a pragmatic approach to net-zero, Joseph McMonigle, Secretary General of the International Energy Forum, said: “If we are going to be successful, we need a multi-dimensional approach to the energy transition, with all possible technologies on the table and all resources on the table. If we pursue an energy transition approach which creates high prices and volatility, we are in big trouble.”
The panelists also addressed the critical urgency of scaling modern energy infrastructure through technology and investment.
For example, the Hon John Sanie, Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Energy, said: “A lack of investment is limiting producers from fully exploiting and utilising their resources.
“Energy demand in Africa is expected to increase by 60% by the year 2040, more than anywhere else in the world. Given that context, it is about time that Africa overcomes key investment and infrastructure barriers to deliver energy across the continent,” he said.
Methane reduction strategies were also discussed. HE Osama Mobarez, Secretary General of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum called for greater support for innovation across the sector: “A key point in this endeavour is how can we engage technologies - and push for research into technologies - that can support projects related to methane emissions abatement,” he said.
