The King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), in collaboration with the Energy Future Initiative (EFI), is organising a webinar titled “The Role of Natural Gas in MENA in a Deeply Decarbonized World” taking place on Wednesday, March 24, 2021.

The Energy Futures Initiative (EFI) is conducting a comprehensive study of the implications of global, regional and national decarbonization policies for the role of natural gas, and, in turn, how natural gas can help advance the low carbon energy system transition. The overarching context for this study is that natural gas is highly integrated into the global energy system, and many of its uses — in heavy industry, for example — lack sufficient technology alternatives for deep decarbonization. Additionally, in parts of the world that currently rely on petroleum and coal, natural gas is a relatively cleaner resource for household use and power generation. Moreover, there may be a range of sectors and end uses where natural gas may be suitable to facilitate deep decarbonization. These considerations make the evaluation of the future of natural gas a critical issue in the transition to a net-zero carbon world. In this context, EFI has arranged a series of regional workshops, co-hosted with energy think tanks, to explore the future of natural gas in a low carbon world.