First, the agreement: energy is important. Shell CEO Wael Sawan said: ‘International Energy Week has long been a place for consequential conversations. They matter more in times like these, in a more disordered world, one of geopolitical fragmentation and great power competition, and on so many fronts, whether we’re talking about AI, climate change or geopolitics, one thing remains constant, that is that energy sits at the heart of it all. The question isn’t whether the world is becoming more uncertain. The question is how we prepare for it, whether we allow uncertainty to undermine growth and security, or whether we use this domain to be more decisive about what our energy system needs.’

That point echoed an earlier theme of his remarks, that energy must be at the heart of any national or regional strategy. Adding ‘the focus must be on the energy of today as well as the energy of tomorrow’ (see also Box).

He continued: ‘Where countries such as the UK have domestic resources, policies should support their responsible development to help absorb shocks, manage variability and keep energy affordable as the transition unfolds. Where domestic resources are limited or the desire to develop them is limited, then LNG can perform that same stabilising role.’