Natural gas should be used more widely as an energy source by
developing countries as it is comparatively low in carbon
emissions, is available in reserves in many developing regions,
and is an efficient way of powering the future industrial needs
of poor nations, specialists in the subject said today. The
topic was discussed during a special event on “Natural gas as an
engine growth” held Monday, the third day of the UNCTAD XIII
quadrennial conference here. Qatar, host of UNCTAD XIII, is the
world’s fifth largest producer natural gas and the largest
producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), in which the gas is
purified and much reduced in volume through cooling, which
transforms it into a liquid state. LNG is often used as an
efficient way of exporting gas by ship. “Poverty cannot be
eradicated without access to energy,” UNCTAD Secretary-General
Supachai Panitchpakdi told the meeting. “Inadequate access to
reliable energy supplies has made it more difficult for many
developing countries to advance economicall