We’re also welcoming of people who are still inside and struggling with the question ‘Should I stay, or should I go?’. (We’ve all been there, so we understand!) Within the community, there are different views on the answer to that question. However, we’re closely aligned in terms of our views on the scale and urgency of the climate challenge that faces us.

‘This is an industry in decline; an exodus of talent is a good thing,’ said Jeremy Leggett speaking at the Life After Oil launch event on 11 February 2026. (He left BP 36 years ago; he’s now CEO of Highlands Rewilding and winner of the Blue Planet Prize 2025).

Reading through the 24 career transition stories on our website, it’s clear that many of us felt our work wasn’t in line with our values. There is a heavy weight of cognitive dissonance related to working for an oil and gas company when the climate crisis is so urgent. For many of us, that feeling lifted when we decide to leave.

Of course, people leave jobs all the time and awareness of the urgency of the climate crisis is nothing new, but this moment feels different to me. I think we’re seeing a change in sentiment from industry insiders who’ve lost trust in the system and loyalty to their employers, and are increasingly speaking out. So, what changed?

Back in 2020, a lot of people, including myself, believed in ‘driving change from within’. I bought into the story that because the climate crisis is so urgent, that we need to use the scale and resources of big business to mitigate carbon emissions. We felt that we had some traction as we influenced CEOs to take more progressive, long-term outlooks. Talking to friends who’ve also seen themselves as internal ‘change-makers’, they say they were hopeful because they saw the global scale of positive impact that was possible. Even the employees who aren’t particularly motivated by climate concerns, were able to feel proud – rather than ashamed – of telling people who they worked for.

But since 2023, the context has changed enormously. The politically-motivated environmental, social, and governance (ESG) backlash paired with high oil prices has led to a ‘drill baby drill’ mentality, and aggressive activist investors have jolted oil companies back to profit maximising business as usual. Despite company leaders not talking openly about why this has happened, it has become clear that the industry is stuck in an ‘economic reality’ that requires them to maximise short-term profits, no matter how dire the human or planetary cost. That is what led me to the conclusion that, at least at the moment, no amount of internal change-making efforts could counter that force.

This experience of backlash has been profound for many industry insiders. Whilst business can return to the status quo, I’m not so sure that’s true of people. When oil company CEOs talk about climate change, a lot of people wake up to the issue in a way that cannot be reversed. The hangover, when the company goes back to business as usual, is cognitive dissonance.

When we’re still inside these companies, it’s common to persuade ourselves that it doesn’t matter if we stay or go: ‘I’m only a small cog in a big machine. If I leave, I’ll only be replaced, so it might as well be me in the job. At least I’m someone that cares about the planet’. It almost sounds like we’ve accepted we don’t matter.

Well, you do matter! And I believe the work that you decide to do matters too! Whilst I believe the company that you leave won’t change as a result, the potential for doing something with positive impact lies in what you decide to do after you go.

Building the new 
The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates said: ‘The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.’

The reality is, it’s very difficult to figure out how you want to ‘build the new’ from inside a corporate job, when the silent influence of corporate culture is all around you and there’s no let-up from the incessant occurrence of emails and meetings. Leaving was the important first step for me, firstly to recover my health and energy, and then to figure out where I wanted to put my energy and creativity next, as well as reconnect with my allies… because none of us can do this work alone.

The American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead said: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’

As well as building the new, it’s important we grow our confidence and courage to speak up about where the old is failing us. A group of five current and 19 former employees of Shell are doing just that, using their influence as shareholders to co-file a resolution at upcoming AGMs at Shell and BP. They cite concerns about the companies’ long-term viability in scenarios where oil and gas prices decline, providing an alternative voice to the short-term investor pressure.

The Life After Oil community is not a campaigning organisation, but those who are keen to use their voice can tap into the community for support. I’d love us to find a way to use our influence. Together we have a more powerful voice and, as former employees, we have an insider perspective that policy makers, investors and industry leaders take more seriously.

If you would like to join our community, or you’re simply curious to find out more, we’d love to hear from you!

The views and opinions expressed in this article are strictly those of the author only and are not necessarily given or endorsed by or on behalf of the Energy Institute.

• Further reading: ‘Shining a Spotlight on Energy People: John Burnett FEI CEng’. Now based in Manama, Bahrain, John Burnett has come a long way from Didcot Power Station in Oxfordshire, which he first visited in boyhood. The CEO of Al Ezzel Power Company and Al Dur Power & Water Company reflects on his career journey and the benefits he has received along the way from participating in the Energy Institute.
• ‘Transitioning into offshore wind’. The oil and gas industry can prove a fine base from which to enter the growing offshore wind sector, writes Alastair Dutton, Co-founder of the online course provider Offshore Wind Learning.