Sharm El Sheikh, November 2022:
“The cost of the transition is significant, and it takes time. We need to be open to all solutions and all options that are available on the table to achieve transition.” stressed Fahad Alajlan, President of the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), during a COP 27 side event cohosted with World Energy Council (WEC) and the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES).
Giving the opening remarks during “The Road to Net Zero: Regional and Global Prospects,” on November 10, President Alajlan highlighted the importance of informing policymakers and others that we don’t yet know the nature of the energy transition, although we know the targets and the goals we want to achieve.
For his part, Bassam Fattouh, Director of OIES, mentioned that this COP is important, “Because it is in Africa, and we need to hear the messages that come from the region.” He added the importance of government to guarantee that everyone has access to electricity.
“Complex energy transitions cannot be managed by a single measure, but will require transparent, trustworthy approaches to deliver energy for the benefit of all humanity,” Secretary-General and CEO of WEC Angela Wilkinson said during the opening.
The workshop included three sessions that discussed the climate roadmap in the Middle East, the extent of progress made by countries in reaching zero-neutrality and adhering to the goals of the Paris Agreement, in addition to the best ways to accelerate the expansion of transformations in sectors that are difficult to mitigate.
It is worth mentioning that the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) is an advisory think tank within global energy economics and sustainability, providing consulting services to the Saudi energy sector.
The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies is a world leading independent energy research institute specialising in advanced research into the economics and geopolitics of the energy transition and international energy across oil, gas and electricity markets.
The World Energy Council is a global forum for thought-leadership and tangible engagement with headquarters in London. Its mission is ‘To promote the sustainable supply and use of energy for the greatest benefit of all people’.
This article appeared on Saudi Gazette