The world is facing a transformational moment in energy history. New technologies are unlocking vast resources and the US shale gas revolution has sent reverberations around the globe. Strategic calculations continue to influence energy flows, evident from the recent Russia-China natural gas deal.

Amidst such economic and geopolitical trends, countries are at the same time pushing forward on sustainable development. The imperative for sustainable development has also opened up opportunities for greater collaboration between these countries and regions.

The changing global energy landscape presents policymakers with a host of new challenges and opportunities. The morning fireside session will discuss how we can navigate the trade-offs between economic realities, security requirements, and environmental necessities while seeking synergies where possible.

Global energy demand will continue to increase in the next three decades, with Asian economies taking the dominant share of the consumption growth. Pollution, climate change, sustainability of resource consumption as well as pricing and energy security considerations are driving the need for change across the energy industry.

This panel will provide a unique perspective on how the main players in the global oil and gas industry are operating in today’s environment and where the major challenges and opportunities lie for the future.

The discussion will cover topics such as the technologies that are allowing us to access previously unreachable hydrocarbon sources, the impact of a global traded LNG industry and the role of alternative energy technologies.

Growing population and the shift to more protein rich diets impact the footprint and necessitate a need for greater efficiency in the agriculture industry. Competition for arable land between urbanization, industrialization and agriculture, climate change leading to changes in weather patterns and severe water shortages, and the virulence of pests and crop diseases are just some of the additional challenges faced.

Furthermore, environmental degradation caused by the clearing of forests, the over-intensive use of pesticides, food scares and food contamination scandals have created a backlash against the very technology and practices that enhance yield and production growth. The agriculture industry today emits more greenhouse gases than all the cars, trucks, trams and planes combined globally, is the biggest user of water across all industries and also a major driver of wildlife extinction.

The session will explore how the agriculture industry is to cope with global demographics and the tools at the disposal of the key actors in the food value chain to ensure that the world can be fed sustainably.

Moderating growth and liquidity concerns in China and global economic challenges brought the commodity super cycle to an end. However, demand growth and underinvestment in key commodity sectors have resulted in volatile commodity prices and growing concerns around resource scarcity.

The long-term demand trajectory and volatility of prices underscores the need to secure long-term access to resources in a more sustainable way. Tensions around the development of coal resources, increasing awareness and concerns around local environmental and community impacts as well as air emissions and the climate are influencing policy decisions around the world and shaping the resources industry.

This session will explore how mining companies are balancing longer-term needs with the near-term pressures, navigating the evolving policy landscape and frontier environments, while continuing to innovate through technologies, tools and best practices.

As the world population grows and economies prosper, environmental spillovers and public tension are putting pressure on governments to take action and environmental sustainability has become a critical factor in economic planning and capital deployment decisions.

The lunch session will explore the role of public and private capital in achieving environmentally and economically sustainable development, with a focus on the emerging economic powerhouses in Asia and Africa.

This practical discussion will focus on how to best build domestic capacity, set public policy and leverage limited public budgets to create the optimal environment for investment and innovation to thrive.

All over the world, corporations are gradually moving beyond the single minded focus on financial gains. Gaining traction is the notion of Ecosperity, encompassing the ecological and socio-economic factors that lie at the foundation of sustainable growth and prosperity. Considering an organisation’s social and cultural environment and applying sustainable practices translates effectively into better business, improved corporate reputation and enhanced stakeholder engagement.

Yet, achieving this is no easy feat. The Ecosperity Young Leaders Dialogue will discuss how corporations can uphold sustainable practices when faced with the capriciousness of our fragile economies. This session will address pertinent issues, challenges and dilemmas faced by companies and aims to shed light on vital aspects of corporate sustainability.