Middle East HSE and Sustainability Week

About the event

Coronavirus (Covid-19) has created the biggest global crisis in generations, sending shock waves through the energy system, economies and societies around the world. Restrictions in free movement, travel and transport have contributed to an unprecedented drop in energy demand and commodity prices (e.g. for crude oil) have crashed to historic lows, erasing almost a decade of growth. These two daunting challenges threaten to push our global economy into a historic recession.

Health, safety, environment (HSE) within the energy sector has also been severely impacted by this crisis, as physical distancing, self-isolation and operating in uncertainty becomes the ‘new normal’, with many organisations transitioning their workforce to operate remotely or at a distance, and delaying capital projects. Some organisations are embracing opportunities, such as those brought about by digital transformation and decarbonisation, however there are still HSE issues associated with their adoption which needs to be addressed.

In terms of sustainability, CEOs, industry experts and policymakers are taking stock of the opportunities and threats that these challenges present to the transformation to a sustainable energy system in a constrained commodity environment. To seize the opportunity to navigate a sustainable pathway out of the crisis, we must harness expertise from across the energy system. This means sharing information, experiences and learning from industry, government and academia around common technical challenges and solutions.

The crisis will pass, but we are likely to emerge changed as a global society and as an energy industry. Companies will need resilience to emerge from this downturn, and innovative thinking, new efficiency in operations, and continued robust HSE practices will be essential if they are to rebuild and recover.

To help us manage and recover from the challenges that this pandemic presents, we will, over the three days of this conference, focus on bringing insight, good practices, learning and solutions to ensure that the energy industry can continue to deliver energy responsibly, safely and securely; prevent harm to employees, contractors and society, and develop a more sustainable energy system.