Alicia Eastman

In addition to managing APC Investors, Alicia is also the the Co-Founder & Board Director of InterContinental Energy and ChipX Global. With nearly three decades of experience spanning international investment, private equity, project finance, and corporate strategy, Alicia stands at the forefront of global sustainability and energy transition efforts. Alicia was President of InterContinental Energy until 2024, and remains active on the Board. She is instrumental in developing some of the world’s largest green hydrogen and ammonia projects across Australia and the GCC, driving decarbonisation in hard-to-abate sectors like shipping, heavy industry, chemicals, power, and data. Alicia founded APC Investors to provide much needed Agile, Purposeful Catalytic capital and advice to growth companies in the energy efficiency and alternative fuels supply chain sectors. Prior to co-founding InterContinental Energy in 2014, she was a founding General Partner and Fund Manager of Asia Pacific Capital Fund II and the Mongolia Opportunities Fund. Previously, Alicia led international strategy and acquisitions at Elan Biopharmaceuticals and was Vice President of Prudential Asia Infrastructure Mezzanine Capital Fund. She was also a Founding Principal at NetFuel Ventures (acquired by the University of Chicago) and has held international strategy and investment positions at Gemini, Lend Lease, and AirTouch International (Vodafone). Alicia is a co-host of the cult favorite podcast ‘Everything About Hydrogen’ and she sits on the McKinsey & Company Sustainability Advisory Council, the Global Hydrogen Advisory Board of Sustainable Energy Council, the Monaco Hydrogen Alliance Board of Trustees and the Women in Renewables Association Board of Counselors. Alicia is the UN ECE hydrogen expert driving the zero emissions ammonia workstream and frequent speaker and contributor to prestigious platforms including FT, Bloomberg, UNIDO, COP, WEF, the Economist, ASDW, S&P Global, ADIPEC, FII, and IEA. Alicia holds a B.Sc. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

Session Overview

Wednesday, 5 November

14:00

Global strategy Conference Room B 14:00 - 14:30

Do tariffs and trade barriers underpin global energy security, or do they undermine the cooperation it depends on?

As nations seek to strengthen their energy resilience amid geopolitical uncertainty, trade policy has become an increasingly powerful instrument. Tariffs and other protective measures can reinforce domestic manufacturing capacity and buffer economies from external shocks - but they can also disrupt supply chains, slow the deployment of clean technologies, and risk new economic fault lines. In a rapidly evolving energy landscape, do tariffs and trade barriers serve as essential tools for energy security, or do they risk undermining the global cooperation needed for long-term solutions?

Debate positions:

Pro: Strategic tariffs and trade measures can reduce dependency on unstable suppliers, build regional self-sufficiency in critical energy materials, and create a more resilient and diversified foundation for long-term energy security.
Con: Overreliance on trade protectionism can raise costs, fragment international markets, and impede the scaling of clean energy solutions needed for long-term security and sustainability.

Attendee insights:

This session explores the fine line between economic sovereignty and global collaboration in safeguarding energy security. Delegates will gain insight into how fiscal and trade instruments - from tariffs to incentives - shape both the traditional and low-carbon energy landscape.