LPG Leadership Forum: WLGA & IEA Discuss Energy Security

On June 26, the World Liquid Gas Association (WLGA) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) jointly hosted the inaugural LPG Leadership Forum at the IEA headquarters in Paris.

The forum convened the IEA, more than 80 senior liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) industry leaders, international organizations including NATO, and representatives from some 17 governments around the world, providing a unique opportunity for engagement in open and constructive dialogue. The gathering took place against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical uncertainty, including ongoing instability in the Middle East that has placed new pressure on global energy supply routes, lending the discussions a particular sense of urgency and relevance.

The LPG leadership forum marks an important and pivotal milestone in the relationship between the global LPG industry and the IEA, reflecting the growing recognition of LPG’s critical role in strengthening energy security, improving resilience and expanding access to clean cooking around the world. This also builds on the momentum from the first Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa in 2024, where LPG was recognized as a major contributor to the global energy mix.

The forum also builds on a deepening partnership between the WLGA and the IEA, which has included ministerial-level talks on energy access and clean cooking hosted in Paris earlier in 2026. Taken together, these engagements underline a shared conviction that energy security and clean cooking access are closely linked challenges, both of which require sustained collaboration between governments, international institutions and industry.

As managing director and CEO of the WLGA, I welcomed the participants, and Dr. Fatih Birol, IEA executive director, and Donal Murphy, CEO of DCC Energy and WLGA president, started discussions with their opening remarks. All three speeches set the tone for the day, framing LPG’s role within the wider energy security agenda, underlining the IEA’s growing focus on the resilience of LPG supply chains and reaffirming the industry’s readiness to invest in the infrastructure and partnerships needed to keep supply flowing to the households, businesses and communities that depend on it.

The combination of strategic presentations, industry perspectives and interactive debate throughout the day encouraged a frank exchange of ideas and highlighted the value of bringing together stakeholders from different regions and markets. Delegates emphasized the importance of maintaining regular dialogue as the pace of policy and market developments continues to accelerate. Several noted this was the first time such a broad cross-section of governments, multilateral institutions and industry had come together specifically to examine LPG supply resilience and called for the dialogue to become a recurring fixture on the international energy calendar.

LPG Leadership Forum Highlights Energy Security & Supply Resilience

Discussions focused on the critical importance of strategic LPG storage and reserve mechanisms, the protection of critical infrastructure, supply diversification and strengthening national energy resilience, particularly for developing economies and import-dependent markets in Africa. Speakers explored practical measures such as expanding strategic and commercial storage capacity; diversifying import routes and supplier bases; safeguarding ports, terminals and distribution networks from disruption; and building stronger regional cooperation so countries can support one another during periods of market stress.

Participants recognized the vital role LPG plays in supporting energy security as the primary cooking fuel for 3.4 billion people across developing economies, and the scale of what remains at stake: Continued reliance on solid fuels and open fires for cooking is linked to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths every year, disproportionately affecting women and children. They also focused on the importance of closer collaboration between governments and industry to improve the resilience of global supply chains and reduce the risks posed by future disruptions.

The discussions at the LPG leadership forum informed ongoing international efforts to strengthen energy resilience, including through a Clean Cooking Security Programme, hosted by the IEA, to identify the policies, investments and partnerships needed to strengthen the resilience of global LPG supply chains. Several governments and private sector representatives expressed their intention to join the task force, with a high-level virtual session held on July 9 to review progress and announce new financial and policy commitments ahead of the second Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa, held in Nairobi, Kenya.

The LPG leadership forum reinforced the importance of the industry not only working closely together but also working closely with key stakeholders such as the IEA. LPG indeed has an essential and unique role, and while supply must be reliable, we can demonstrate resilience on many levels, including flexibility in distribution, strong local infrastructure and enhanced storage.

In practice, this means continued investment in bottling and distribution infrastructure, diversified shipping and supply arrangements, and closer coordination between the public and private sectors so that disruption in one market can be absorbed without leaving vulnerable communities without fuel. LPG is acknowledged as a practical solution capable of delivering immediate emissions reductions while supporting longer-term energy transition objectives, offering a rare combination of energy security, affordability and lower-carbon performance compared with the solid fuels it so often replaces.

This event reinforced the WLGA’s role as a trusted global voice for the liquid gas industry. By uniting senior decision-makers and facilitating evidence-based discussion, the WLGA continues to demonstrate leadership in promoting the industry’s contribution to a secure, resilient and sustainable energy future. It also reflects the association’s broader mission of connecting national and regional LPG associations, producers, distributors and equipment manufacturers around the world and of ensuring that industry expertise is heard directly by the policymakers and institutions shaping the future of the global energy system.

Overall, the LPG leadership forum achieved its objectives of strengthening engagement, encouraging strategic dialogue and reinforcing the importance of LPG within the global energy transition. The insights and relationships developed during the event will help inform future advocacy, technical collaboration and member activities, ensuring the industry remains well positioned to contribute to the evolving global energy agenda. The WLGA intends to work with the IEA and forum participants to translate the discussions into concrete next steps, including continued input into the Clean Cooking Security Programme and further opportunities for governments and industry to compare notes on storage, infrastructure and supply diversification.

The WLGA extends a sincere thank you to the IEA for its partnership and hospitality. We look forward to productive discussions that will help shape the future of LPG in the global energy transition. We also look forward to continuing these critical discussions to maintain momentum during Liquid Gas Week, which will take place in Istanbul from Oct. 12-16.

Set to be the largest gathering ever held for the liquid gas industry, and taking place in a city that connects Europe, Asia and the Middle East, Liquid Gas Week will bring producers, distributors, innovators and regulators together to build on the resilience agenda established at the LPG leadership forum. Dr. Birol will return to deliver a keynote address, underscoring the IEA’s continued engagement with the industry as it works to expand reliable and affordable energy access around the world.