OFA hosts panel discussion on energy transition
The Omani French Friendship Association (OFA) held its second meeting with H E Salim al Aufi, Undersecretary in the Ministry of Oil & Gas, on Thursday to continue the discussion started last year on the energy transition.
The panel discussion was themed as ‘Energy Transformation: Choice or Necessity’.
The focus of this year’s event was on the financial perspective associated with the energy transition.
The impact of fossil fuels on climate change has led governments, business communities, investors and the public in general to recognise the urgency to decarbonise the global economy.
It is also widely acknowledged that massive investments are required for a sustainable energy transition but the question is to find out how and who will undertake it.
The meeting attempted to balance the necessary financial short-term returns for investors and banks with long term vision.
The panelists included H E Aufi, Marie Cécile Grzanka, head of Sectorial Coverage Energy Natural Resources & Energy Financing of Société Générale, Nigel Govett, chief financial officer of Rakiza Fund and member of the senior investment committee of SGRF and Mohammed al Riyami, senior manager of Oman Society for Petroleum Services who moderated the panel discussion.
The key aim of this informative meeting was to discuss about the situation of the sustainable pathway, to ascertain if the industry is doing enough in energy efficiency, to listen to the government plans and position to increase renewables in the energy mix, to understand the current trend in funding projects with less carbon footprint…and many others interesting questions that were also tackled.