In 2011, the International Energy Agency published a special report about the bright future of natural gas, declaring that the commodity was on the brink of entering into a “golden age” where it would enjoy a more prominent role in the global energy mix. Fast forward to 2016 and the landscape is filled with more gray hues than those of gold. What happened these so-called golden years? Did we blink and miss them, or are they ahead of us?

Michael Bradshaw, professor of global energy at Warwick Business School, said not to lose hope in a recent webinar hosted by Vostock Capital. The industry has not missed its best years; they are still on the horizon. In a world motivated by a desire to halt human-created climate change, gas is positioned to be the bridge fuel of choice going forward.

At COP21, held in Paris at the end of last year, more than 140 countries convened and presented action plans for specific and practical steps to lower their carbon footprints, thereby preventing the planet from warming more than two degrees compared to pre-industrial levels. This will necessitate moving away from “dirty” hydrocarbons for cleaner alternatives, creating a window of opportunity for natural gas, which is the cleanest fossil fuel, producing half as much CO2 when burned compared to coal.

To meet COP21’s ambitious climate objective means making the switch to natural gas as soon as possible in order for its environmental advantage to be felt. While a window is open, it is not one that will not stay open forever; time is of the essence. By the 2035s, gas stops being a solution to climate change and starts adding to the problem, at which point even half the carbon emissions of coal becomes higher than permissible. Eventually, it too must be completely phased out.

Bradshaw suggests that is possible to extend the number of years we can rely on natural gas if coal is eliminated sooner rather than later. If Earth’s atmosphere can only handle a certain amount of CO2 before global temperature increase beyond the two-degree mark, the less added each day buys a little more time. It all depends on how quickly countries begin shifting to greener forms of energy, and some are much further along than others. The U.K., for example, plans to eliminate its use of coal by 2025.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS), a technology that can prevent up to 90% of the CO2 produced by power generation and industrial processes from entering the atmosphere, can also keep gas in the mix for longer, Bradshaw said. However, even CCS is not a perfect solution, as a power plant utilizing CCS will have to use more gas to produce the same amount of energy.

No matter the circumstances, if the world is serious about climate change, no hydrocarbon can be used indefinitely, but natural gas is certainly the lesser of many evils. However, despite its attractive carbon profile, its utilization is contingent on how quickly it is embraced. “If there is to be a ‘golden age of gas,’ it’s likely to be short-lived,” said Bradshaw.

Jay Bolan can be reached at jbolan@hartenergy.com.