From commitment to action

In The National’s COP28 supplement, Christopher Hudson, president of dmg events, discusses rallying the energy sector to support the journey to net zero

When we started planning ADIPEC 2023 over a year ago, we had a very important mission – to urgently address critical climate and energy challenges, uniting industries to accelerate collective, responsible action, decarbonise quicker and future-proof the energy system.

As the world’s largest energy conference and exhibition, this edition of ADIPEC was also taking place at a critical time, during the UAE’s Year of Sustainability and just seven weeks before the UAE hosts COP28, when issues of energy security and sustainability will be in sharp focus, not only within the country but around the world.

As organisers of ADIPEC, for nearly 40 years, we, at dmg events, have worked hard to bring the industry together and help navigate the complexities and challenges of the changing energy landscape. ADIPEC 2023 was uniquely positioned to serve as a platform for the energy and related industries to come together with a common purpose to reiterate their commitment to lowering emissions and advancing the journey to net zero while ensuring economic progress.

It was with all this in mind that we formulated our agenda for ADIPEC 2023, to give the energy industry the platform to demonstrate its commitment to a sustainable energy transition. It was humbling to see how the message by world leaders – calling on the energy industry to step up and lead the way for transformational progress in the energy transition – was echoed by the wider energy industry across ADIPEC’s conferences and on the exhibition floor.

Looking back on the four whirlwind days of ADIPEC 2023, I am proud and pleased to say that we delivered our biggest and boldest edition to date, breaking all records and presenting a powerful content programme that responded to the challenges and opportunities faced by the global energy sector in this critical moment.

Under our timely and important theme of ‘Decarbonising. Faster. Together.’, we welcomed over 2,200 exhibiting companies and 1,600 speakers – including ministers, CEOs, policymakers, innovators and future leaders – who came together to engage in action-oriented dialogue and explore tangible solutions to support the energy transition.

We put together a rich conference and exhibition programme that engaged directly with the new priorities of the energy market, bringing together key stakeholders to collaborate around decarbonisation solutions for a secure, profitable and sustainable energy future.

ADIPEC’s agenda was designed to help address the big issues that are relevant the world over -- achieving near-zero methane emissions by 2030, scaling the deployment of climate technology, mobilising investment in technology and innovation, and the all-important topic of bridging the gap between the Global North and South for greater energy security.

Supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a particular focus on youth, was another major part of ADIPEC this year, which we did through our expanded Young ADIPEC, continuing Future Leaders Programme, and our newly launched Global Youth Council, all part of our commitment to inspire and empower the next generation to be part of the global energy transition.

The next few days at COP28 are crucial and we will be following the conversations closely. Across dmg events’ global portfolio of more than 40 energy events around the world, we remain dedicated to being part of the solution and help facilitate global progress by uniting diverse industries. Through these events, we aim to foster cross sector collaboration and pave the way for a more sustainable energy future that benefits everyone.

The decarbonisation and energy transition journey is complex and demanding, but we will continue to strive to be a platform that encourages collective global action. While we finish 2023 on a high note, we recognise that our work is far from done. As we look ahead to 2024, we intend to build upon this year’s success and drive positive change across the energy sector.

ADIPEC 2024 takes place on 11-14 November 2024, and we are committed to further raising the bar, assessing industry requirements, adapting and evolving to ensure we remain relevant and can appropriately support the energy transition. ADIPEC 2024 will continue to convene the ideas, ambition, technology and capital needed to transform the global energy sector into one that supports and enables zero-emission growth.

We look forward to keeping you abreast of our plans for our energy events – including ADIPEC 2024 – as we seek to continue our work to help achieve a sustainable and equitable global energy transition for all.

-Christopher Hudson

President, dmg events