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“I’ve always had a particular fondness that’s what will happen if we don’t through, and I’m a great believer
for the gas industry as a result. Of course, do it”. The two words, in his opinion, in the way human beings are, in the
I was a minister when Sir Denis Rooke need to be there together – we need end, able to overcome even the biggest
was still leading the gas industry, and to talk about the realities and also of obstacles.”
I knew him well. He wasn’t the easiest the balance between sequestration, He added: “I’m pleased to see that the
of people to deal with, if I may put it taking back emissions, and the industry has made it more and more
delicately, but on the other hand, he reduction of emissions. possible to use hydrogen as a mix.”
certainly upheld the reputation of British “So, when we do that, and we look at He then went on to say that the
Gas and, of course, he was the person the gas industry in its widest sense, it industry is one with a real future,
who really masterminded the conversion seems to me we have to say some very but it’s a future even more exciting
from town gas to natural gas.” fundamental things,” he said. because we don’t quite know what that
Lord Deben went on to discuss “First of all, we’re going to need gas, future holds. Something Lord Deben is
home heating, before talking about the and we’re going to need gas right on, surer about is that “the industry is not
“reality of net zero” and climate change. but when we are going to use gas, it’ll going to move like the Sir Denis Rooke
It’s important to remember, he said, have to be gas which has used carbon moment of going from town gas to
that “at the same time as increasing our capture and storage – so we’re going to natural gas.”
emissions to a degree, we also decrease need gas but we’re going to have to be “We’re not going to move from
the ability of the earth to sequestrate, able to sequestrate, because that’s part natural gas to hydrogen. We’re going to
and we need to think of both of those”. of the balance that we’re talking about. move from natural gas to a very large
For Lord Deben, balance is key. “We’re not going to be able to use gas range of things, and the gas industry
“We’ve both increased immeasurably for generation after the very early 2030s, as a whole is going to play a crucially
our emissions and we have made because otherwise we can’t reach the important part in the future – but it isn’t
it more difficult for the world to get targets, so we know that. What we do going to be the one that one or two of
that balance – the balance of nature, know is that we’re going to go on leading the enthusiasts suggest it ought to be.
which is really the balance that we’re gas, and we’ve got to think about the It’s going to be a much more nuanced
looking for, and net zero is really an production of gas and where we’re going future than that.”
encapsulation of that,” he said. to get it from.” Nuance, according to Lord Deben,
“We need to get the balance back, Lord Deben believes that combination means putting innovation and research
which enables us to live in a climate is the way forward, saying “one of the at the forefront. He thinks that more
that is suited for all the creation that things that happens as you get older is money needs to be spent on the
has ever happened, because we’re that you learn, if I may say so, that it’s commercialisation of research because
about to live in a climate that has very rarely either/or and normally both/ R&D is “the silver bullet”.
never existed before. It’s worth just and – that is the nature of life. He added that the government needs
remembering that everything we’ve “And that is the truth of what we to realise that money spent on research
achieved as human beings has been are talking about here. It’s not going is money well spent.
achieved in a climate which we won’t to be all electricity; it’s going to be In closing his lecture, Lord Deben
have, whatever we do. It is a sobering electricity, and hydrogen, and gas. ended where he began – with climate
thought and it is one we have to keep in It’s going to be a range of things. The change. He said: “We have to fight
mind the whole time.” issue is how do we get that balance climate change because, if we don’t,
According to Lord Deben, we need to right? How do we do it in a way there will be no future. But in fighting
think about climate change “not just as that means the lights don’t go off, climate change, we have to think about
the absolutely determinant issue of our or perhaps more importantly, that the future constantly and we’re not
time, but as a reality”. people don’t feel cold?” going to win the battle if we don’t do the
“Now, that doesn’t mean to say that When talking about the future science, the research and the investment
we don’t have to do some very tough in terms of gas and hydrogen, Lord to win that battle. Your industry has an
things,” he said, before referring to a Deben said it would be unwise to important part to play in that.
conversation with a colleague in which suggest that we know what the future “And, if we want to give Sir Denis
he said that you must ask businesses to will be. However, he did make some Rooke a proper memorial, we ought
do just this side of impossible. “There’s suggestions, saying it was obvious that to remember that he knew that this
no point in asking impossible but just hydrogen would play a very important industry really mattered, but it would
this side of impossible, otherwise you part in the future. only work if they found the answers
won’t get what you need, and so often “When I talk about hydrogen, I am to the problems and then got the
I’m afraid, government hasn’t asked very careful to be clear that it will have government to accept that they had
enough of business, or has asked of an important part to play – quite how to be implemented. So, I honour that
business things that they couldn’t much that will be, we don’t know, but difficult, awkward man Sir Denis Rooke,
deliver. That’s why the Climate Change we need to move into a position in and say to you, let’s try and do even
Committee (CCC) is very clear. We’re which we will be able to use it if we better than he did.”
asking people to do things that they can can overcome the two things which are An audience Q&A session then
do. It’s going to be tough, but it is this really difficult. One is to make it cheap followed Lord Deben’s lecture before
side of impossible. We have to do it, enough to compete, and the other is to delegates enjoyed a networking session
and if we don’t do it, then we really are do it in a way which is environmentally over a glass of wine.
staring disaster in the face.” friendly enough for it not to defeat the
The two words that Lord Deben whole purpose. If you missed this year’s Sir Denis Rooke
believes we need to keep in our minds “Now, they are difficult things, Memorial Lecture, a recording of the
are ‘optimism’, because “we are going but they are improving, and people event, including the Q&A session, is now
to do it”, and ‘apocalypse’, “because are finding all kinds of ways of pushing available to view on IGEMtv.

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IGEMNews_SirDenisRooke.indd 2 21/04/2022 11:46