TOKYO, July 18 (Reuters) – Current investments in gas infrastructure are falling short of what is needed, officials at an industry conference in Japan said on Wednesday, citing the role they say the fuel has to play in both global energy security and the transition to net zero.

Big producers have in recent years promoted gas as a transition fuel in the push for cleaner energy – a move fiercely resisted by environmentalists – as renewables like wind and solar face technical factors like intermittency of supply.