Asia Natural Gas and Energy Association CEO Paul Everingham unpacks US energy trends, a new S&P Global decarbonisation study, and ANGEA's policy priorities amid Asia's push to balance emissions cuts with energy security.

 

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You've recently returned from engagements in Washington DC – tell us a little bit about that visit. 

It was an excellent trip. ANGEA Senior Advisor Neil Theobald and I were very grateful for the opportunity to meet with senior staff from the National Energy Dominance Council, the Department of Energy and the State Department. We also spent time with leaders from the US Chamber of Commerce, the American Petroleum Institute and the Center for Strategic and International Studies and caught up with some key energy journalists. It was very encouraging to see such a high level of interest in the Asian energy landscape and an eagerness to work towards solutions that will benefit Asia.

What was your biggest takeaway from the trip? 

The number one thing I took away from all our conversations is that US energy is going to play an ever-growing role in Asia in the years ahead. Policy makers are particularly keen for US LNG to help meet Asia's energy needs.

It was clear from our conversations that the US is thinking beyond energy supply in supporting Asia. Finance, infrastructure, expertise and capability are also front of mind. These are parts of the LNG supply chain that can sometimes be overlooked in supply countries, but which are especially important for nations that are newer to importing LNG – as some countries in Southeast Asia are. It's refreshing to see policy makers and key stakeholders in the US paying attention to this.

If US LNG plays a much bigger role in Asia, what does that mean for Australia? 

I see Asia as an enormous opportunity for both US and Australian gas. Asia is at the centre of rapidly expanding energy demand, with Wood Mackenzie projecting demand for LNG by the region will nearly double by 2050. Australia is Asia's incumbent leading LNG supplier, providing nearly 30 per cent of imports in 2024.

What Asia wants to see from Australia are more positive signals that it would like to continue in that role. Japan has been quite vocal about this. Decision makers in Asia will be watching regulatory and policy developments in Australia with interest, particularly the recently announced east coast gas review and any ramifications for the LNG export industry. The Australian Government has made some positive statements recently about the regional importance of Australian gas and we hope these are followed through on.

ANGEA recently released a study by S&P Global on power sector decarbonisation in Asia – how has that been received and what are the implications for Australia?

The study has been very well-received across multiple jurisdictions, which reinforces how relevant the subject matter is. It looks at a question that's critical for Asia: how can the region achieve meaningful decarbonisation in the near term and do so affordably, without compromising energy security? This question isn't only vital for the three countries that the study focused on – Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam – but nations right across the region.

What S&P Global's independent analysis tells us is that LNG is an essential tool for accelerating phaseout of coal in Asia. It's a highly reliable, much lower-carbon partner for renewable energy that will provide countries with greater opportunities to expand solar and wind power. With increased use of LNG, S&P Global found the study countries could retire half their coal-fired generation and reduce power sector emissions by 33-38% by 2035, while investing only 8-16% more in their energy systems. Significantly, the study makes it clear that LNG from Australia, the US and Qatar used for power generation has much lower average lifecycle carbon intensity than coal – a finding that is supported by a recent IEA publication on emissions from LNG supply.

The study is highly relevant for Australia. It demonstrates the impact that Australian LNG can have right now in reducing coal use across Asia and enabling decarbonisation. It's appropriate that the Philippines and Vietnam were two of the study countries – both are relatively new to importing LNG and will need a lot more of it over the next 25 years as they decrease their dependence on coal and scale up renewables. There are plenty of fast-growing South and Southeast Asian economies that will benefit from Australia continuing to be a major exporter of LNG.

Your travel itinerary this quarter also included a trip to Paris, what can you tell us about that? 

ANGEA was very grateful to be invited to participate in an International Energy Agency workshop on carbon capture and storage. CCS will be central to global progress on decarbonisation and we appreciated the chance to provide an Asian perspective. With so much economic and energy demand growth set to come from Asia over the next few decades, the successful scaling-up of CCS will be extremely important for our region.

I had the opportunity to spend time with people at the IEA who are working on future energy demand forecasting: gas demand and more. The IEA has a team of people focused on mapping out energy demand pathways for Asia. It was valuable to hear their insights and pass on some of ANGEA's observations from engagements with governments and industries around the region.

After Paris, I travelled to Tokyo, where I met with a range of stakeholders and moderated a panel session at the LNG Producer-Consumer Conference that featured speakers from Cheniere, Tokyo Gas, AboitizPower and JBIC.

How is the second half of 2025 shaping up for you and ANGEA? 

We're looking forward to a busy and productive second half of the year. Over the next fortnight, ANGEA's cross-border CCS lead Hanh Le will present at conferences in Kuching and Melbourne, and we will continue to engage with governments and other key stakeholders on cross-border CCS in the months ahead. ANGEA Chief of Staff Laila Nowell is speaking at NT Resources Week in early September, and I will be participating in Gastech in Milan later that month. Events like the Asean Energy Business Forum, APEC CEO Summit and Singapore International Energy Week are also on our radar.

In August, ANGEA will join members in participating in an LNG capacity building seminar in the Philippines and in October we will be in Vietnam for similar workshops with a range of stakeholders. This is a really important part of why ANGEA exists – to collaborate with and support governments and industries around Asia, as they look to grow and develop LNG industries to provide energy security and progress energy transition.

In closing, do you have one final observation about the energy landscape from the first six months of 2025? 

The last six months have really reinforced to me that we are dealing with energy expansion as much as energy transition. Energy demand is not only increasing in fast-growing economies in South and Southeast Asia but right across Asia. Actively working to meet this demand, now and in coming decades, is critical. We can't just hope for the best and think everything will be OK. And we shouldn't risk economic progress by jeopardising energy security.

The other thing that really stands out to be is the proactive approach that the US is taking to energy exports. When the world's biggest economy adopts this type of approach, it really has the potential to shift the global landscape.

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Paul Everingham is the inaugural CEO of the Asia Natural Gas and Energy Association (ANGEA), which works with governments, industries and communities in Asia, providing affordable solutions that promote energy security, economic growth and decarbonisation.