The International Energy Agency (IEA) is projecting that global demand for natural gas will start to dip by the end of this decade, but should remain strong and near a historic peak through 2050.

In its latest 350-page annual World Energy Outlook (WEO), researchers said that for the first time in the history of the forecast, they expect demand for all three fossil fuels – oil, natural gas and coal – to decline by 2030 under all scenarios.

“The energy world will look very different by 2030, even under today’s policy settings,” said IEA chief Faith Birol. He said fossil fuels as a share of global energy supply, which has been around 80% for decades, would “decline significantly by 2030.”

Researchers acknowledged, however, that some key uncertainties could affect...