This analysis considers a collection of strategy documents detailing the International Gas Union’s (IGU) communications, advocacy, and outreach playbooks.
IGU describes itself as “the spokesperson for the gas industry worldwide”. It has 150+ members including Shell, TotalEnergies, Sempra Energy, and ExxonMobil amongst others, claiming to represent over 90% of the global gas market.
This analysis provides unique and highly significant insights into how the fossil gas industry has sought to defend and enhance its interests against increasing concern about climate change and the energy transition from the public, politicians, and international institutions.
- Further documents show that IGU has sought to develop relationships with key partners in the media (including the Financial Times and Bloomberg), environmental organizations (including Environmental Defense Fund and Rocky Mountain Institute) and think tanks and consultancies (including Boston Consulting Group and Oxford Institute for Energy Studies). IGU’s aim for its outreach is to “raise IGU’s credibility and leadership amongst influential organizations to help shape energy dialogues and debates,” while its use of the media looks to “promote positive sentiment toward, and broader definition of, gas”