BANGKOK, THAILAND (September 2, 2026) – As Thailand prepares to serve as the main host of Gastech 2026 in Bangkok from 14-17 September, the event comes at a critical moment for the country’s energy future and the wider energy transition across Asia. At a time when governments must accelerate a just transition away from fossil fuels, Gastech risks becoming a platform for new fossil gas deals and infrastructure that could lock Thailand and other Asian economies into decades of fossil gas dependence.
Greenpeace organizations across Southeast Asia, East Asia and Australia are calling on the governments and companies attending Gastech 2026 to reject further fossil gas expansion and accelerate investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency, storage and a modernised power grid. As a host, Thailand has an opportunity to show regional leadership by strengthening energy security through renewable, affordable and resilient energy systems rather than deepening dependence on fossil gas.
Arifsyah Nasution, Program Director at Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said:
“Asia’s rising electricity demand, particularly from industry and the buildings sector, compounded by the risk of further demand surges driven by data centers and AI, is placing unprecedented pressure on Asia Pacific’s regional power grids. Energy companies and governments must not weaponize this rising demand to justify further gas expansion that exposes consumers to volatile global fuel prices, fuelling climate disasters, and places additional environmental and social burdens on communities.”
Thailand: Energy Security cannot mean greater fossil gas dependence
Manun Wongmasoh, Climate and Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace Thailand, said:
“Hosting Gastech 2026 must not mean handing Thailand over to the fossil gas lobby. The narrative that gas is a ‘bridge fuel’ or the answer to energy security is a dangerous myth that locks us into fossil fuels, blocks a genuine transition to renewable energy in line with net-zero goals, and exposes us to skyrocketing power bills and toxic pollution. Communities in Thailand’s eastern region are already bearing the brunt of fossil gas expansion and can’t afford further expansion of gas infrastructure, including LNG terminals, pipelines and gas-fired power plants. Instead of locking our power system into decades of corporate profit, decision-makers must accelerate a just transition to renewable energy and ensure that businesses respect human rights. This is the path to protecting local livelihoods, reducing people’s energy burdens, and putting people and their rights before the interests of the fossil fuel industry.
East Asia’s AI Energy Surge and Public Finance Fueling Global Fossil-Gas Lock-in
Yeonho Yang, Senior Climate & Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia, said:
“East Asia’s rising electricity demand cannot be used as a blank cheque for fossil-gas expansion. Gastech must not become a platform for the gas industry to use AI, data centers and advanced manufacturing to legitimize new LNG infrastructure or rebrand fossil-fuel finance as ‘transition finance’. Governments must direct public finance towards genuine renewable energy expansion, energy storage, grid modernization and efficiency, to power their digital growth while cutting emissions and protecting affected communities.”
Australia’s export responsibility for regional climate and nature impacts
Joe Rafalowicz, Head of Climate and Energy at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said:
“From toxic chemical emissions to pollution and nature destruction, Australian gas exports threaten the lives and livelihoods of communities along the supply chain. While the world is clearly ready to move away from volatile, expensive, dirty gas, multinational gas corporations like Woodside Energy, which are speaking at Gastech, have different plans: they want to hook in new customers across Asia, and lock us into a future of climate disasters, nature destruction and pollution. There’s no future in gas. We need to fast-track the rollout of clean homegrown renewable energy and protect our communities from the energy shocks and climate change fuelled by the corporations at Gastech.”
A Regional choice for Asia’s energy future
From gas-producing countries like Australia to major energy markets across East Asia and Southeast Asia, the impacts of fossil gas expansion extend across borders and along the entire supply chain. Gastech 2026 should not be used to justify another generation of fossil gas infrastructure while communities bear the economic, environmental and climate cost. Asia’s rising energy demand must be met without locking the region into a fossil fuel future.
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Thailand: Fossil gas dependence and the ambition to become a regional LNG hub
For Thailand, where fossil gas dominates approximately 60% of the country’s generated electricity, these risks are particularly significant as the country seeks to position itself as a regional LNG hub. Further investment in gas import terminals, pipelines and gas-fired power plants would deepen its reliance on imported fossil fuels.
Communities in Thailand’s eastern region, including Rayong, Chachoengsao and Prachinburi provinces, are already raising concerns over cumulative pollution, pressure on natural resources and impacts on livelihoods. Gastech should therefore be an opportunity to question whether greater fossil gas dependence can genuinely deliver energy security, affordable electricity and a just energy transition.
East Asia: Rising electricity demand and public finance
Across East Asia, rapid growth in AI, data centers, and semiconductor manufacturing is intensifying pressure on electricity systems, particularly in fossil fuel-reliant Taiwan and South Korea. Taiwan raised its electricity-demand forecast in June, citing semiconductor and AI data-centre growth, and plans to add 25.98 gigawatts(GW) of thermal capacity by 2035—largely gas-fired. South Korea’s three mega AI projects could require an additional 27GW of power by 2040, raising concerns that LNG and other fossil fuels will be used to meet rising demand.
Japan and South Korea are also major providers of public finance and export support for overseas fossil-fuel projects. Japanese public institutions provided approximately US$93 billion for overseas oil and gas projects from 2013 to 2024, nearly four times the amount for renewables. South Korean export-finance agencies committed approximately US$44.4 billion to overseas energy projects between 2020 and 2024, with 74.5% supporting fossil fuels. By financing gas terminals, pipelines and export facilities across Southeast Asia and beyond, both countries risk locking the region into long-term fossil-fuel dependence and undermining efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
Australia: Fossil gas exports and the regional supply chain
Australia is the world’s third-largest gas exporter, with a significant amount of its gas production sent to East Asia and Southeast Asia markets, where it is associated with climate and environmental impacts across the supply chain. As Australian gas fields decline and major trading partners in East Asia reduce their demand, the upstream gas industry is increasingly looking to emerging Asia markets for future demand.
Multinational gas corporations, like Woodside Energy, presenting at Gastech, seek to hook customers in new markets like Thailand to replace declining demand. Expanding gas in Asia will mean more gas drilling in Australia, including Woodside’s Browse proposal to drill up to 57 oil and gas wells at Scott Reef, which risks a pristine marine ecosystem, and would emit 1.6 billion tonnes of climate pollution over its lifetime.
These developments highlight how decisions about new gas infrastructure and the long-term supply chain in Asia can have implications across the wider gas supply chain. At the same time, renewable energy, energy storage, grid modernisation and other clean energy solutions provide alternative pathways for meeting the region’s growing electricity demand while reducing reliance on fossil gas.
Media contacts:
Somrudee Panasudtha, Senior Communications Campaigner, Greenpeace Southeast Asia (Thailand Office), +66 81 929 5747, [email protected]
Yujie Xue, International Communications Officer, Greenpeace East Asia, +852 5127 3416, [email protected]
Lucy Keller, Senior Communications Advisor, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, +61 491 135 308, [email protected]
