Energy transition — a transformation in progress

Why is it so critical for industries, subject matter experts and professionals to become part of a larger community like EAGE. And how do you collaborate with companies, sister societies, governments and other stakeholders to promote the energy transition and support the role of engineers in this transition?

We have a shared commitment to mitigate climate change and meet global demand for secure, cost effective, sustainable and clean energy.

The underground vision has a wide remit, covering all geoscience and related engineering aspects of renewable energy/low carbon resource extraction, storage and installation, and also mitigation of carbon from the atmosphere by sequestration into the subsurface.

The overriding concern for government officials and companies should be the lack of a sufficiently skilled workforce to undertake the scale of new projects required for a low-carbon economy. Success of the energy transition is closely correlated with the ability to retain and attract a qualified workforce to implement projects. EAGE is actively promoting the key roles of the geosciences and engineering in the energy transition to attract future graduates and young professionals.

Can you share any plans or initiatives your society has in place to support the transition to a low-carbon energy future and the role of engineers and geoscientists in this transition?

Recent initiatives by the association include adding a sustainable energy group to its organizational structure with board-level representation; holding a major annual Global Energy Transition (GET) Conference & Exhibition (now in its third year), which attracts a wide range of industrial stakeholders, academic institutions and EU regulatory bodies; creating a sustainable energy award for young professionals; and this year launching the Geoenergy opens in new tab/window journal jointly with the Geological Society of London.

Which of the SDGs are engineers in the geosciences best positioned to address?

By nature and member interest, EAGE has a specific focus on certain SDGs, namely, supporting SDG 6 (Clean water and sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and clean energy), SDG 13 (Climate action), SDG 14 (Life below water), SDG 15 (Life on land) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the goals).

How is the work of your members helping to create a more sustainable world? What opportunities do you offer for engineers to network and exchange ideas with their peers and other experts in the field?

Transformation is in progress; it’s too early to draw definitive conclusions, but I’m optimistic that we will make it a reality. The energy transition requires a people transition. We need to establish a compelling and inclusive purpose backed-up by tangible action.

The EAGE purpose will be inclusive and resonate with all members and stakeholders. We have several communities with the mission of growing a collaborative network across genders, ages and specializations, and supporting equity in the fields of geoscience and engineering. We are also dedicated to offering motivational advice and mentoring, and sharing career opportunities. Additionally, EAGE is focused on driving equity in the workplace and the communities we support.

What initiatives does the EAGE offer to support the upskilling and reskilling of engineers and geoscientists to meet the changing demands of the energy sector? How do you work with educational institutions to ensure that the next generation of engineers and geoscientists is equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to support the energy transition?

Education and research institutes have an important role to play in devising curricula and offering courses that provide people with employable skills in the clean energy economy. Several initiatives, including partnerships between companies, universities, and professional organizations, offer good examples of such efforts. EAGE has close to 20 courses, e-lectures and webinars on the topics of energy transition and sustainable development.

Industry leaders have an exciting opportunity to reimagine their workforce while they navigate the energy transition. How can we re-skill the current workforce to transition to low-carbon roles and attract new talents? How can we bridge the gap and identify the levels of crossover and proximity between current carbon-intensive skills and new, low-carbon skills? This new roadmap to addressing these questions —  defining new skills and roles, enabling the right culture and behaviors — is at the heart of the EAGE, and the society will act as an enabler to make it happen.