Lowering carbon emissions and increasing the share of renewables in the global energy mix can only happen through collaboration between oil & gas and the green / renewables sector, not in opposition to each other.
I see this unfortunate polarising trend that forces people to choose either THIS or THAT in a situation when the real world needs BOTH. We clearly need fossil fuel sources (and we will need them for a very long time) and green / renewable technology (which on its own will not provide sufficient energy level for a very long time). We need close collaboration between these two branches of the energy industry, Those who create a conflict between these two sectors do not fully understand either of them and hinder the energy transformation. Neither one of them will work on their own. Neither one of them will survive on their own.
I was invited by Green.Org to speak about the role of oil and gas industry in the current energy transition where I addressed these main points:
- We should not be fooled by the marketing strategies in telling you what is “green” and what is not. It is just marketing.
- EV, wind turbines or solar panels are industries prone to as much carbon emission as fossil fuel and they create a similar (or more in some cases) amount of waste.
- Those who claim that the oil and gas industry should be banned tomorrow have very little knowledge about the fact that literally everything that they use on a daily basis comes from fossil fuel byproducts.
- We are creating the biggest human crisis in the world by ignoring a fundamental human need for energy sources (which at the moment are coming mainly from the fossil fuels)
- The biggest threat to oil and gas industry is NOT the lack of hydrocarbons but a lack of professionals willing to work in the sector due to a damaged reputation (the skill gap is growing).
You can listen to the entire episode of the Green Podcast on Spotify:
