Young advocates for natural gas at Algiers summit

Minister of Energy and Energy Industries Stuart Young advocated for the use of natural gas as a transition fuel, stressing the importance of using sovereign resources and ensuring energy security, at an extraordinary ministerial meeting on March 1.

Young, along with a delegation from his ministry representing the government, attended the 7th Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) Summit in Algiers, the Democratic Republic of Algeria.

Speaking at the International Conference Centre Abdelatif Rahal in Algiers, Algeria he said,

"It is incumbent upon us to raise our voices globally in the conversation of energy security and food security, demand the ability and the opportunities to utilise our sovereign resources, and work together not only in the promotion of the use of natural gas."

Young said natural gas would inevitably remain a prominent energy source for decades to come and called for a clean energy environment, stressing the importance of collectively exploiting national gas resources.

"Trinidad and Tobago, as small as it is, continues to play a vital role in providing energy security, not only for Latin America and the Caricom region but also as far away as Europe. I call upon us once again to use the body of the GECF to raise the platform and the voices for natural gas."

He urged support for the African continent's ability to independently develop its resources for energy security, citing the TT Dragon gas deal, which involved two GECF member countries, as an example of a project facilitating resource development.

Young concluded by anticipating closer collaboration as a united voice, saying, "Sometimes we need to push back on those who make decisions in far-off places that directly affect our ability to develop our own resources."

The GECF Summit serves as a meeting of heads of state and government from the member countries of the GECF, providing a platform for leaders to discuss and share insights on recent developments and future perspectives on energy, particularly natural gas. The summit ends with the issuing of the Algiers Declaration.