Climate and energy 2027

One year on from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, this session draws on global case studies to examine
its implications for energy transitions around the world.

• How did the closure of the Strait of Hormuz reshape national energy security strategies and alter the trajectory of energy transitions around the world?
• How has the crisis rearranged geopolitical alliances and brought states into competition over
  critical supply chains?
• What factors have so far determined success in accelerating efforts at making the energy
  transition toward cleaner sources of power, and how have countries embraced these strategies as
  part of energy security strategies?
• How have regions that rely heavily on oil and gas imports regions responded?
• One year on, is the world better prepared for the next major energy shock, and what
  vulnerabilities remain? 

This session explores how policy, public finance and private investment can unlock transformation of the
world’s hardest-to-abate sector, support emerging clean technologies and strengthen economic resilience.

• How can governments use policy and public finance to mobilize private capital and accelerate industrial decarbonization while strengthening competitiveness and energy security?
• What are the conditions required to make investment in green steel, sustainable aviation fuel,
  low-carbon cement or clean shipping commercially attractive?
• How can governments create the conditions needed for fuel and technology pathways to scale?
• What lessons can be taken from different countries’ approaches to the green industrial transition,
  including China’s green tech industry development over the past 10-15 years and the current role
  of Japan’s GX Agency in promoting industrial transition and providing transition finance?
• What role can international cooperation, particularly among middle economic powers, play in
  making the green element of industrial strategy more effective?

In this session, panellists explore a vision for an energy system of the future that can both accelerate the
transition and remain resilient in the face of the unknowns of tomorrow’s geopolitical landscape.

• What does the optimal energy system of 2050 look like?
• What can countries learn from leaders in electrification, such as Norway, about how best to
  develop resilient energy systems?
• Should countries prioritize energy sovereignty, or does true resilience depend on greater
  international integration?
• To what extent can the transition to electrification and renewables foster resilience against
  physical, cyber and geopolitical threats, and what new vulnerabilities might it open up?
• How should energy systems of the future be designed to withstand physical and cyber disruption,
  whether from climate extremes, conflict or attacks on critical infrastructure?

Affordable electricity is critical to maintaining support for the energy transition, but bringing costs down 
remains a major challenge. In this session, panellists draw up a roadmap to affordable electricity.

• Have grids become the weak link in the transition to affordable electricity? 
• What role can batteries, storage and flexibility play in reducing electricity costs and maximizing 
  the value of renewable power? Can these approaches also deliver a lasting energy security 
  dividend? 
• How can market design incentivize investment in these approaches while keeping costs low for 
  consumers and industry? 
• How is competition for critical minerals, batteries and clean energy technologies shaping the 
  future economics of electricity? 
• How might countries use affordable electricity as part of their geopolitical strategies to assert 
  power on the international stage? 

Parallel spotlight sessions comprise an intimate discussion held under the Chatham House Rule.
Stakeholders are invited to attend the session that aligns with their interests.

Session 1 | AI’s energy appetite

This session is being held under the Chatham House Rule.

As digitalization accelerates and countries and companies race to secure leadership in artificial
intelligence, panellists consider whether the pursuit of AI leadership can be reconciled with climate goals,
energy security and resource constraints.

• Can governments and businesses continue to make the case for data centre expansion as electricity demand, water stress and pressure on critical infrastructure grows?
• How should governments respond to the new energy security challenge AI is starting to pose?
• Could competition for AI leadership reshape global energy systems and investment priorities in
  the same way competition for fossil fuels once did?
• What role can AI technologies play in improving energy system efficiency, and how significant are
  the potential benefits?
• Looking ahead, what does effective national and international governance look like, and do
  existing initiatives like the EU Action Plan on Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence go far
  enough to address AI’s climate, energy and resource impacts?

Session 2 | Solar Radiation Modification: Pandora’s box or elephant in the room?

This session is being held under the Chatham House Rule.

This session examines whether the world is prepared to govern a technology with potentially global
consequences.

• Who should have the authority to govern, approve or veto the deployment of Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) technologies, and how can the concerns of climate-vulnerable countries and
  territories be meaningfully reflected in those decisions?
• If deployed, how likely is SRM to trigger global conflict or geopolitical instability as a result of
  uneven regional impacts, unilateral deployment or other?
• Is the international community in a position to collaborate and build a steadfast framework for responsible research, oversight and decision-making?
• What are the climate and geopolitical risks of both action and inaction?
• Can stakeholders deal with hybrid and non-conventional threats in an efficient and effective way
  through this sort of spending?

This session is being held under the Chatham House Rule.

This session examines the role of climate diplomacy in an era of implementation.

• As geopolitical tensions, trade disputes and economic pressures reshape international relations, how is climate diplomacy changing as the focus shifts from target-setting to implementation?
• Can international cooperation on climate survive an increasingly fragmented geopolitical
  landscape?
• Over the coming decade, what role can climate diplomacy play in delivering resilience,
  accelerating the energy transition and sustaining international cooperation?
• How can countries most exposed to climate risks exert greater influence on international climate
  policy?
• What does success look like for COP and other international climate processes at a time where
  delivery matters more than new commitments?

This session is being held under the Chatham House Rule.

As the international community looks beyond the President Trump’s time in office, this session examines
the direction of US energy policy and investment, and what it could mean for global energy markets,
climate ambition and geopolitical competition.

• Has US retreat from climate diplomacy created a vacuum, and if so, who has stepped in to fill it?
• Given continued growth in clean energy investment across many US states, driven in part by
  economics and industrial competitiveness, to what extent has federal policy altered the long-term
  trajectory of the US energy transition?
• How might the growing energy demands of AI, big tech and data centres reshape US energy
  policy, infrastructure investment and climate targets over the next decade?
• What does China’s increasing dominance in renewables and EVs mean for US competitiveness
  and Europe’s future climate and energy partnerships?
• What would rebuilding US climate and energy leadership on the global stage require?

This session is being held under the Chatham House Rule.

As both the world’s largest energy emitter and largest investor in clean energy, China is one of the most
important players in the global energy transition. This session explores what the future of China’s energy
system looks like, and what that means for the global transition.

• Is China’s clean energy boom peaking, or is Beijing preparing its next industrial play?
• What progress has China made toward managing the ‘energy trilemma’ of affordability, security 
  and decarbonization? 
• How vulnerable does the country remain to global oil and gas disruptions, and what does that 
  mean for its energy strategy? 
• Can and should the world decarbonize without becoming dependent on Chinese clean energy 
  supply chains? 
• Will climate cooperation survive strategic rivalry between Washington and Beijing?

This session explores how mineral supply chains can support ambitious climate action while remaining 
equitable and protecting vulnerable communities.

• Can critical mineral supply keep pace with the accelerating energy transition without creating new environmental and social harms?  
• How should resource-rich countries capture more of the value generated by the energy transition 
  through processing, manufacturing, skills and industrial development? 
• How can governments and industry minimize the emissions, water use, biodiversity loss and 
  pollution associated with mining and mineral processing? 
• What roles can circularity, recycling, material innovations play in reducing pressure on primary 
  mineral supply? 
• How can governments, investors and companies strengthen transparency, responsible sourcing 
  and community participation across mineral supply chains?

This session is being held under the Chatham House Rule.

Renowned business leaders field questions and share perspectives in this interactive Q&A session 
designed to help businesses navigate an increasingly complex risk landscape. Stakeholders are invited to 
bring their toughest business dilemmas as the panel share lessons learned, practical takeaways and 
strategies for managing uncertainty and accelerating decarbonization in a rapidly changing world.

• What is the most important lesson the past year’s climate and geopolitical shocks have taught business leaders? 
• What are the biggest opportunities and barriers associated with a faster energy transition, and 
  what role should CEOs play in leveraging and overcoming them? 
• Which geopolitical shifts are business leaders watching most closely, and how are they shaping 
  decisions on energy, supply chains and investment? 
• Where should a smart, climate-conscious investor be placing capital today? 
• Looking ahead to 2030, what should CEOs be doing today to remain economically competitive, 
  strengthen climate resilience and become leaders in the energy transition?