Climate change, purpose & doing the right thing: lessons from COVID-19
By Fawaz Bitar, Chair of IOGP
As an industry, as businesses and, most importantly, as people – this is an incredibly tough time. No matter where you are in the world, or what you do, we have all been impacted by the coronavirus in some way.
There’s the tragic human toll: the loss of loved ones and colleagues and our own health. Of course, there are the social restrictions too: working from home or not being able to spend time with friends and family. And there are the economic implications, the seriousness of which seem to grow by the day.
We have been through crises before. And even though this might be of an altogether greater magnitude, I’m confident that as an industry we have the skills, adaptability and determination to pull through.
But after bringing the world to an unprecedented standstill, I think it’s safe to say this virus will leave its mark.
We do not know exactly what the long-term implications will be for our industry. However, I think this pandemic is a wake-up call. Like the virus, climate change is a predictable global challenge, but at an exponentially larger scale.
Climate change
If a virus – albeit an awfully serious one – can bring the global economy to its knees in just a few weeks, imagine what could happen if the worst effects of climate change begin to bite. The potential implications are just frightening.
So, if there is one positive that might come out of this grim episode, it should be the widespread realisation that everyone in our industry must challenge themselves to respond much more convincingly to the threat of climate change. We will need more proactive leadership in advancing progressive policies, setting out bold climate positions, and fast-tracking the transition of our businesses to a lower carbon world.
While climate ambitions will undoubtedly be tested as the economy recovers, it is not the time to shy away from them. It is the time for leaders to commit and demonstrate how addressing climate change in the right way builds a healthier, stronger economy and a better world for all.
My own view is that beyond the plans and targets we set; we need to take real, tangible action with the ambition of becoming a net zero emissions industry – and contributing more widely, where we can, to global efforts to reach net zero.
I recognise that not all of us will be able to contribute equally, but we all have a role to play.
And this should start with setting clear decarbonisation targets including on CO2 and methane emissions reductions, then measuring and transparently reporting progress. Without this our industry risks becoming marginalised and will not be able to play our fullest part in helping the world to responsibly meet demand for energy.
There are many resources available to support you such as the Methane Guiding Principles and United Nations CCAC OGMP. Additionally, IOGP in collaboration with IPIECA and OGCI will be increasing our focus and co-ordinating efforts on emissions reduction.
Like covid-19, society will judge how we respond to climate change and we want to come out on the right side of history. I am confident our industry will rise to the challenge and again demonstrate we are a force for good for the world.
Giving us purpose
This leads onto a related area that I’ve been thinking about a lot recently – particularly amid the coronavirus outbreak.
I am increasingly convinced that the way we act – and react – in situations like this is informed by our motivations. And that flows from our purpose.
As businesses – and also as people – I strongly believe that we should be talking much more about this. In the corporate sphere, that must stretch to something beyond making profits for shareholders. Of course, as commercial entities, that will always be important. But in this ever-changing world, that cannot be our only motivation. We need to embrace purposes that allow us to work for a greater cause: something that lifts our focus from our everyday lives and reminds us that there is a bigger reason for going to work.
There’s nothing like a crisis to help you realize what is really important. If nothing else, this outbreak should spur us to think more about why we do what we do. And I believe that we have a responsibility to make the world a better place where people and our planet can thrive together. Not only because our employees, communities and investors are demanding it, but because it is the right thing to do.
- Publications
- Events

Joint statement on the role of LNG in Europe’s energy transition

Response to the Draft Delegated Regulation on CO₂ Injection Capacity Obligations

IOGP Europe views on Communication on the Action Plan for Affordable Energy

IOGP Europe Response to the Consultation on the Review of the Taxonomy Climate Delegated Act

The Joint Statement on the Low-Carbon Fuels certification draft Delegated Act

IOGP response to the public consultation on the draft Methodology to determine the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission savings of low-carbon fuels

Joint EGEC-IOGP Europe recommendations: Accelerating the deployment of Geothermal in Europe

IOGP Europe key principles on a future regulatory framework for CO2 transport infrastructure

Joint Letter- Harnessing the IPCEI mechanism for CCS in Europe

Rebalancing Europe’s Gas Supply Second Edition

IOGP consultation response: Rationalisation of reporting requirements

Creating a sustainable business case for CCS value chains

Map of CO2 storage Projects in Europe

IOGP Europe position on the EU Industrial Carbon Management

IOGP position paper on the European Commission’s public consultation on the EU climate target for 2040

IOGP Europe feedback on Net Zero Industry Act proposal

Joint industry statement on the EU Taxonomy

IOGP response on Competitive Bidding schemes for hydrogen under the Innovation Fund

IOGP views on the proposed Regulation amending Regulation (EU) 2021/241 as regards REPowerEU chapters in Recovery and Resilience Plans

IOGP response to the consultation on certification of carbon removals – EU rules

IOGP comments to R. W. Howarth and M. Z. Jacobson (2021): How Green is Blue Hydrogen?

Re-Stream – Study on the reuse of oil and gas infrastructure for hydrogen and CCS in Europe

IOGP response to the public consultation on the Energy Taxation Directive (ETD) proposal

IOGP response to the public consultation on the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) proposal

IOGP feedback to the European Commission’s Roadmap on restoring sustainable carbon cycles

IOGP response to the public consultation on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) proposal

IOGP position on the revision of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) Directive

IOGP response to the public consultation on the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) proposal

IOGP response to the public consultation on the FuelEU Maritime proposal

IOGP response to public consultation on the revised Climate, Energy and Environmental Aid Guidelines (CEEAG)

IOGP Paper on metric to use for 2030 targets

IOGP response to the roadmap on the modification of the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER)

Public consultation on the EU Action Plan “Towards a Zero Pollution Ambition for air, water and soil”

IOGP response to consultation on the revision of the Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy (EEAG)

IOGP response to the Inception Impact Assessment on the revision of the Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy (EEAG) 2014-2020

IOGP views on competition policy supporting the European Green Deal

IOGP statement on the European Commission’s 2030 Climate Target Plan

What’s Right? What’s Wrong? IOGP comments on the ‘EU Strategy for Energy System Integration’ and ‘A hydrogen strategy for a climate neutral Europe’

IOGP written input to the public consultation on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)

IOGP views on State aid for environmental protection and energy (EEAG)

IOGP written input to the consultation “2030 Climate Target Plan”

IOGP response to the inception impact assessment concerning the revision of the 2018 Renewable Energy Directive (REDII)

IOGP feedback on the update of EU ETS monitoring and reporting rules (2021-30)

IOGP response to supplementary questions on the EIB Group’s Climate Bank Roadmap 2021-2025

IOGP response to consultation on the renewed Sustainable Finance strategy

Funding CCS in Europe: key investments for the recovery

IOGP response to the public consultation on the revision of Regulation (EU) 347/2013 on guidelines for TEN-E Regulation

IOGP response to targeted consultation on the revision of Regulation (EU) 347/2013 on guidelines for TEN-E Regulation

IOGP input to the Roadmap on the EU strategy on hydrogen in Europe

IOGP feedback to the Combined Evaluation Roadmap/Inception Impact Assessment on the revision of Regulation (EU) 347/2013 on guidelines for TEN-E

IOGP feedback to the roadmap for a Renovation Wave initiative for public and private buildings

IOGP input to the forthcoming EU Strategy for Energy System Integration

IOGP response to the EIB Group’s Climate Bank Roadmap 2021-2025

Input to the inception impact assessment on the FuelEU Maritime

IOGP feedback to the proposed European Climate Law

Feedback to the impact inception assessment “2030 Climate Target Plan”

New and old CCS projects in Europe: What’s different this time?

IOGP assessment of National Energy and Climate Plans

Methane Management in the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry: Policy recommendations in the context of the EU Methane Strategy

Scaling up Hydrogen in Europe

IOGP assessment of draft National Energy and Climate Plans

The potential for CCS and CCU in Europe Report to the thirty second meeting of the European Gas Regulatory Forum 5-6 June 2019

LNG – a fast lane to make Europe a leader in clean shipping

OGP contribution to the CCS Directive evaluation

Draghi Report: a pragmatic pathway to Competitiveness, Sustainability, and Resilience

IOGP Europe joined BusinessEurope in industrial permitting task force

“Hydrogen for Europe” study launch

Towards greater hydrogen production capacity in Europe

Carbon Management Webinars

Manifesto: Oil & Gas Industry Solutions Towards 2030 and 2050

Hydrogen for Europe: 1st Working Group Meeting

SPE Europe Energy Conference

Rebalancing Europe’s natural gas supplies – Learnings, future needs, and policy implications

Scaling up the energy transition whilst securing a stable suppy
