Strategic Conference

Opening ceremony

Strengthening ambition en route to COP28 and beyond

The UAE has committed to a stricter Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) ahead of COP 28, aiming to cut its carbon emissions 31% by 2030. What are other countries doing to reduce their carbon footprint? What mechanisms can ensure that decarbonisation pledges come into action and which regulatory measurements can help? What is the role of public-private collaboration in advancing towards net-zero? What can the utilities industry learn from other sectors that will help accelerate its energy transition?

Building momentum on the road to net zero

Many companies have developed strategies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and achieve net-zero within the next 10-20 years. However, the altered economic landscape has posed new challenges in achieving the set targets. As gas prices have increased and supplies have become unstable, how can companies keep on track with their net-zero pledges? How can nuclear energy contribute to this changing energy landscape – will it be a key player in mitigating the energy crisis without compromising on decarbonisation goals? Will fossil fuels see a new comeback due to the increasing pressure to stabilise the energy supply and maintain affordability for end users?

Enabling a Just Energy Transition: Bridging the North-South Divide Enroute COP28

With greater pressures on energy security and inflationary pressures tightening fiscal and monetary policy across the world, building on the Glasgow Climate Pact is always going to be challenging. In addition, the longstanding North-South divide has been a crucial issue in climate discussions, with the Global South disproportionately affected by climate change and the wealthier Global North criticised for their inadequate action on climate change. COP28 aims to foster solidarity and collaboration between developed and developing nations, providing new opportunities for unified action to achieve net-zero targets and accelerate 2030 trajectories through transformative partnerships and outcomes. What solutions can be expected at COP28 that will foster a truly just and equitable energy transition? Can an inclusive COP provide developing nations a long-term solution?

Enhancing Grid Resilience and Flexibility to Accelerate Adoption of Renewable Energy Sources

Renewables have experienced unprecedented growth in recent years, driven by increasing global awareness of climate change, ambitious decarbonisation targets, and rapid technological advancements. With renewable energy sources playing a more significant role in the global energy mix, along with declining costs of renewable energy technologies, the need for efficient grid integration and modernisation becomes increasingly critical. What are the main challenges utilities face when integrating renewable energy resources into their power systems, and what strategies have proven effective in overcoming these challenges? How can advancements in energy storage technologies facilitate the integration of renewable energy resources and improve grid stability? What role do microgrids and distributed energy resources play in enhancing grid resilience and flexibility, and how can utilities leverage these solutions to support renewable energy integration? What policy incentives and regulatory frameworks have been successful in promoting renewable energy integration, and how can utilities advocate for supportive policies in their respective regions?

Powering Africa's Future: Fostering Cooperation and Synergy in Power and Utilities

With its abundant renewable energy resources, rapidly growing population, and increasing demand for electricity, the African continent offers unparalleled opportunities for its power and water utilities sector. Collaborative efforts can help to build sustainable and resilient power systems, increase electrification rates, and enable the integration of renewable energy resources across Africa. How can regional and international partnerships contribute to the development and integration of renewable energy resources across Africa, supporting the continent's transition towards a more sustainable and low-carbon energy future? How are governments, industry leaders, and development partners collaborating to address pressing issues and challenges effectively? What role can technology transfer, capacity building, and knowledge sharing play in accelerating the growth of Africa's power and utilities sector, and how can these efforts be facilitated by regional and international partners? How can innovative financing mechanisms and public-private partnerships be leveraged to support the development of power infrastructure and the expansion of electricity access in Africa, while ensuring long-term sustainability and affordability? In the context of Africa's rapidly growing population and increasing urbanisation, how can synergies between power and utilities sectors contribute to the development of smart, resilient, and sustainable cities, while addressing the energy needs of rural and underserved communities?

Geopolitics and water-energy security: assessing impact

Recent events have significantly impacted energy supply and demand dynamics resulting in rising prices for consumers and end users globally. With multiple droughts around the world, how can countries ensure reliable and affordable access to electricity, gas, and water supplies? What policies can be put in place to protect consumers from increasing electricity and gas bills? What potential solutions exist to address the intersection of geopolitics and water-energy security and ensure sustainable energy and water supplies for the future?

Pursuing energy security and sustainability in parallel

Energy security and sustainability are both critical priorities for governments, businesses, and industry. What are the key drivers of energy security and sustainability, and how can they be balanced? Are new supply dynamics forcing decision makers to prioritize one over the other? Or can they remain parallel pursuits? What role are renewables playing in the delivery of energy security? What are the barriers to achieving both energy security and sustainability, and how can they be overcome?

Decarbonising cities

Urban areas are responsible for a significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions, and cities must take the lead in the energy transition journey. How we plan, build, manage, and power our cities in the future will dramatically reduce their energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. What are the opportunities to reduce demand for power and water in cities as populations urbanise and adapt to a changing environment? How can technology be leveraged to support decarbonisation efforts in cities? How can renewable energy be integrated into urban infrastructure? How can we ensure that decarbonisation efforts are equitable? What are the economic benefits of decarbonising cities, and how can we ensure that these benefits are realised?

No transition without transmission

Reaching net-zero requires accelerated investment in clean energy technologies to reduce, and eventually phase out, reliance on fossil fuels. Policymakers and business leaders need to act now to overhaul carbon-intensive grids and scale-up renewables production and storage capacity. What are the challenges associated with upgrading and expanding transmission infrastructure, and how can they be addressed? What role can technology play in optimising transmission infrastructure and improving its efficiency? What is needed to ensure the infrastructure build out remains ahead of the generation capacity additions on the road to net-zero?

Accelerating Global Action on Clean Energy and Energy Security

The global energy landscape is evolving rapidly, and climate change has made it imperative to accelerate the transition to clean and sustainable energy sources. At the same time, energy security remains a critical concern, particularly in the context of geopolitical tensions, supply disruptions, and increasing energy demand. International cooperation is imperative to advance clean energy deployment, share best practices, and pool resources to address common challenges, including financing and technology transfer mechanisms. What strategies can be adopted to diversify energy sources, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and promote the integration of renewable energy into the grid, while also investing in clean energy infrastructure to enhance resilience and energy security? How can private sector be incentivised to invest in clean energy and energy security initiatives? What strategies can we implement to close the energy access gap?

Dawn of a new era in the power-water nexus

Since power plants require large amounts of water and water plants require large amounts of power, both utilities have been intrinsically linked. Given this interdependency, how can water desalination plants help balance peak demand for power? What is the role of Reverse Osmosis in this? How does the introduction of renewable energy sources change the relationship between power and water?

Hydrogen – Putting the pieces of the puzzle together

Hydrogen holds significant potential in reducing the world’s reliance on hydrocarbons, abating emissions and getting closer to net-zero. However, what is necessary to be able to realise this potential? Which policies and regulations will accelerate hydrogen adoption? Is hydrogen infrastructure developing fast enough? Where will the money to fund hydrogen developments come from? What technology will help to scale up hydrogen adoption? What is the role of carbon capture in it? And, finally, what will be the major hydrogen use: will it slowly displace gas in electricity production? Will it be used in fuel cells to power electric vehicles? Will it be used as fuel in other industries such as shipping or aviation?

Fueling innovation, securing supply and reducing emissions within water, wastewater and desalination companies

Water security is a critical part of the energy transition conversation. it is important to adopt integrated water resource management approaches that balance water supply and demand, protect water resources, and ensure equitable access to water. What can be done to ensure successful water management and resilience? How can water and wastewater companies enhance efficiency and what is the role of data and technology? What is the role of water desalination in securing potable water supply globally? Is recycled water a good solution to ensure water security? And finally, as the world is moving towards net zero, what are the pathways to decarbonise the water and wastewater sectors?

Advocating inclusion and diversity within the utilities sector

According to the World Economic Forum, companies in the top quartile of gender diversity in their executive teams outperform their bottom quartile peers in profitability by 25%. When it comes to ethnic and cultural diversity, the figure goes up to 36%. How can businesses make the existing workforce more diverse, reduce the gender gap and make employees feel more included? Which metric and performance goals can help achieve this? Can financial incentives, rewards and recognition play a role in achieving diversity goals?

Satisfying the utilities customer of tomorrow

Customers today are more informed and aware of the impact of climate change on the planet. What are customers seeking from their utilities providers? How can power, water, gas and district cooling utilities improve customer experience and meet customer needs? How can data help understand customer needs better? What non-utility services can utilities offer to improve customer experience?

The role of ESG and sustainable finance in the power, water, gas and district cooling

Green finance and ESG reporting continue to be at the top of the executive agenda. ESG and sustainable finance play an important role in promoting sustainable and responsible practices, and are imperative to help mitigate the risks associated with climate change, promote sustainable development, and support the transition to a low-carbon, more sustainable future. What is the current role of ESG in identifying, assessing, acquiring, financing and funding utility projects? What processes and technology are available to support decision-making? What are the challenges in ESG reporting and what strategies and policies can help overcome them? What can utilities do to unlock the full potential of green investments, improving national GDP and encouraging Foreign Direct Investments (FDI)?