NEWS FROM GASTECH 2014: Beware the threat of coal

SEOUL, South Korea -- Asian countries should prioritize the role of gas as an energy source and ensure that the region does not allow coal to dominate energy provision, Maarten Wetselaar, Acting Upstream International Director at Shell, said in his executive keynote address to a packed house at the opening session of Gastech 2014. “Asia has the chance to avoid the mistakes that Europe has been making,” he said, noting the negative impact that access to cheap U.S. coal supply has made on the growth of gas use in economies, such as Germany and the UK. Both countries recorded increased carbon emissions over recent months on the back of greater coal use, reducing prospects for the European Union to hit its future carbon emissions targets.