The Rush to Gas

The Russian Energy Minister, Alexander Novak, has revealed that there are no plans to reduce the country's natural gas production, in spite of its known role in climate change (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/01/russia-rules-out-cutting-fossil-fuel-production-in-next-few-decades). The intention seems to be to increase annual production from 680bn cubic metres last year, to about 1tn by 2035. Much of this new production would be exported to a 'gas hungry' world via pipelines and giant refrigerated tankers. Novak points out that natural gas produces less carbon dioxide than coal and suggests that Russia will partly offset its own change in greenhouse gases, by becoming a leader in hydrogen fuels and carbon capture (these, of course, if they come about, are likely to be for local use). I really don't find the proposals at all realistic, if the world wants to avoid some of the worst consequences of climate change. Perhaps we all urgently need to get less 'gas hungry'?