World Petroleum Congress returns to Calgary after three years

The World Petroleum Congress gets underway in Calgary on Monday to discuss energy transition amid growing concerns about climate change and sustainable energy.

The world’s premier oil, gas and energy forum is a five-day global energy conference which brings together heads of state, energy leaders and technical experts from over 100 countries to talk about the future of the petroleum industry.

“It’s an opportunity to talk about the leadership that we’ve taken in terms of energy transformation, it’s an opportunity for businesses big and small that are involved in the energy sector to really talk about the great work they’ve been doing and its positions as well in the global stage as a provider of energy security and affordability,” said Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek.

The theme of this year’s congress is ‘Energy Transition: The Path to Net Zero.’ The conference intends to provide insights into where the sector plans to move during a period of volatility.

The world is now focusing on decarbonization, environmental, social and governance considerations, the affordability of energy and the need for secure supplies.

“I think it’s going to be important to have conversations on how do we use technology to truly transform the extraction, production and delivery of energy and at the same time, you have to remember that two things can be true at once, we still have to provide the energy that we are producing to global markets,” Gondek said.

Canada has committed to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, which consists of shifting to technologies and energy systems that don’t produce greenhouse gas emissions, while removing any remaining emissions from the atmosphere and storing them permanently — a big challenge to the oil and gas sector, especially to the energy-rich province of Alberta.

The President of the Canadian Organizing Committee for the 24th World Petroleum Congress, says it’s a once-in-a-25-year opportunity for Canada to tell its story to a global audience.

“Canada is the fourth largest producer of oil and gas in the world, we’ve got incredible experience in getting this products out of the ground safely and to market and huge innovation around green technologies and so that makes Calgary and Alberta the logical place to host this event,” said Denis Painchard.

The 24th World Petroleum Congress will take place in Calgary from September 17 to September 21.

Premier Danielle Smith will address the conference Monday.