Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: International Gas Union (IGU) has active engagement with climate policy and exhibits both positive and negative engagement with science-aligned climate policy. The association displays largely positive, albeit limited, positions in its top-line messaging on climate policy, but is highly and negatively engaged on the energy transition, including by promoting new investments in fossil gas infrastructure.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: IGU’s top-line communications on climate change appear broadly positive, albeit limited since 2021. In its July 2025 Corporate Newsletter, IGU supported the Paris Agreement’s targets to limit global warming to 1.5°C and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The group has limited positions on the need for climate change regulation. In its December 2024 Manifesto, IGU labeled government regulation prescriptive and advocated for technology neutral policy to tackle climate change.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations IGU has limited engagement on climate-related regulations, particularly since 2021. In a September 2025 report, IGU supported the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blending mandates proposed by the EU Commission. The association appeared supportive of voluntary action to tackle methane emissions both in an April 2025 report and in a May 2025 press release. However, in a joint paper published July 2025, IGU advocated to “simplify” the EU Methane Regulation’s requirements for importers whilst emphasizing impacts to energy security.
Positioning on Energy Transition: IGU does not appear to support the transition of the energy mix, and continues to advocate for new fossil gas exploration and infrastructure globally. In a January 2024 joint letter to US President Biden, IGU among other global industry associations, opposed the administration’s decision to pause liquified natural gas (LNG) export permits. More recently, in a March 2025 joint letter to G7 Energy Ministers on the role of fossil gas, IGU advocated for policies to support a continued role for fossil gas in the energy mix. In an April 2025 report, IGU supported new exploration and production of gas in the Eastern Mediterranean basin.
IGU’s public messaging seeks to influence the narrative around fossil fuels by promoting it as a vehicle for decarbonization. In January 2025, IGU released YouTube videos advocating for fossil gas to provide greater energy security, to transition away from coal, to complement renewables, and to provide energy access in the global south, among other arguments. On its corporate website, accessed in September 2025, IGU is vocal about fossil gas and its importance in the present and future. On the website’s news section, IGU’s Secretary General, Menelaos (Mel) Ydreos, argued that liquefied natural gas (LNG) is critical for global energy security in June 2025. Similarly, published in their news section, IGU’s President, Andrea Stegher, advocated for fossil gas to provide energy stability in May 2025, and to meet rising energy demands, particularly from data centers and artificial intelligence (AI) in March 2025.
IGU has supported the role for low carbon gases, however it is unclear to what extent this excludes forms of fossil gas. In a March 2025 corporate newsletter, IGU supported the integration of low-emission gases, including biomethane, hydrogen and e-methane, into existing gas systems. Additionally, in an April 2025 report, IGU appeared to support the expansion of hydrogen to justify continued use of LNG infrastructure. Similarly, in a September 2025 report, IGU supported an increased role for biomethane in the energy mix without stating the need to transition to a renewables-based system nor recognizing the limitations and uncertainties.