More than three decades after the UNFCCC was signed, the energy transition’s global contribution to slowing the overall increase in CO2 emissions has been inconsequential. US energy expert and former US government adviser Stephen D. Eule tells Petroleum Economist’s Saniya Garyali that despite a plethora of new laws, rhetoric and money spent, decarbonisation goals are still as far away as ever.

In 2026, what will define success in the oil and gas industry? In this podcast, industry experts Jorge Herrera and Aneel Bhandari examine the need to master cost control, risk visibility and operational discipline in a year that will squeeze margins and push asset productivity to the foreground. On the technology side, AI and digital twins are moving beyond back-office support to drive real-time decisions, predict failures and improve processes. They also look at how methane abatement and carbon capture are being integrated into day-to-day operations, bringing them closer to the oil and gas business model.

Denise Hamilton joins Rachel McGhie, conference director, WGLC to follow up from her electric keynote at WGLC 2025 in October. In this podcast they discuss why connection, communication and community are the skills leaders need most right now.