Step Off the Gas: International public finance, natural gas and clean alternatives in the Global South

The 'Step Off the Gas' report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development analyzes international public finance for natural gas expansion in the Global South, arguing that such funding locks countries into high-carbon pathways despite the availability of cheaper renewable alternatives.

• International public finance is disproportionately allocated to gas projects in low- and middle-income countries, receiving four times the amount of funding provided to wind or solar energy.
• The expansion of natural gas is incompatible with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goals. According to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scenarios, unabated gas power generation must drop by 87% and global gas consumption must decrease by 55% between 2020 and 2050.
• Renewable-based alternatives are already cheaper or will be shortly for most gas uses, including clean cooking, which can be effectively served by cost-competitive renewable electricity and improved electric stoves.
• Case studies reveal specific risks in emerging economies: Argentina is hindered by high upfront capital costs and debt; Egypt's goal to be a gas trading hub relies on potentially unsustainable European demand; and India faces the risk of a second phase of asset redundancy as over half of its installed gas power capacity already sits idle due to import costs.
• The report recommends that international public finance, including funds from multilateral development banks and G20 bilateral financial institutions, cease supporting fossil fuels and instead focus on enabling renewable energy systems and integrating renewables into unstable grids in the Global South.

APA

Roth,, G. M. S. M. K. D. G. (n.d.). Step Off the Gas: International public finance, natural gas and clean alternatives in the Global South. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/natural-gas-finance-clean-alternatives-global-south

Chicago

Roth,, Greg Muttitt,Shruti Sharma,Mostafa Mostafa,Kjell Kühne,Alex Doukas,Ivetta Gerasimchuk,Joachim. Step Off the Gas: International public finance, natural gas and clean alternatives in the Global South. International Institute for Sustainable Development, n.d. https://www.iisd.org/publications/natural-gas-finance-clean-alternatives-global-south.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Roth, |first1=Greg Muttitt,Shruti Sharma,Mostafa Mostafa,Kjell Kühne,Alex Doukas,Ivetta Gerasimchuk,Joachim |title=Step Off the Gas: International public finance, natural gas and clean alternatives in the Global South |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/natural-gas-finance-clean-alternatives-global-south |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rothndstep, author = {Roth,, Greg Muttitt,Shruti Sharma,Mostafa Mostafa,Kjell Kühne,Alex Doukas,Ivetta Gerasimchuk,Joachim}, title = {{Step Off the Gas: International public finance, natural gas and clean alternatives in the Global South}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/natural-gas-finance-clean-alternatives-global-south}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }