Forget 2050, investors should demand action now on oil and gas

The authors contend that the next decade is decisive for the planet's warming trajectory and the viability of energy firms, urging investors to move beyond 2050 targets. They propose five metrics for benchmarking performance: reducing methane intensity to 0.20 percent by 2025, eliminating routine flaring by 2025, aligning capital expenditure with science-based net-zero scenarios, ending obstructive lobbying through trade associations, and strengthening board-level climate governance. The text highlights a divide in clean energy investment between European firms and those in the US, while noting a growing trend of institutional investors using shareholder voting to force climate risk integration into corporate strategy.

• The authors argue that actions taken in the next ten years are more critical for the planet's warming and the survival of energy companies than long-term commitments to net zero by 2050.
• Investors should push upstream oil and gas actors to achieve a verifiable methane intensity of 0.20 percent by 2025 and join the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership.
• While some companies like Apache Corporation and British Petroleum have made progress in eliminating routine flaring in the US, many others continue to use outdated 2030 promises instead of acting with urgency.
• There is a growing gap in capital allocation toward clean energy between Europe and the rest of the world, though some national oil companies like Ecopetrol and PTT are diversifying into electric transmission, solar, and wind.
• Climate governance is shifting as institutional investors like BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street support efforts to place climate-competent members on corporate boards, exemplified by Engine No. 1's success with ExxonMobil.

APA

Ratner, E. B. B. (2021). Forget 2050, investors should demand action now on oil and gas. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/forget-2050-investors-should-get-action-now-on-oil-and-gas/

Chicago

Ratner, Erin Blanton, Ben. Forget 2050, investors should demand action now on oil and gas. World Economic Forum, 2021. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/forget-2050-investors-should-get-action-now-on-oil-and-gas/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Ratner |first1=Erin Blanton, Ben |title=Forget 2050, investors should demand action now on oil and gas |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=4 November 2021 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/forget-2050-investors-should-get-action-now-on-oil-and-gas/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{ratner2021forget, author = {Ratner, Erin Blanton, Ben}, title = {{Forget 2050, investors should demand action now on oil and gas}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2021}, month = nov, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/forget-2050-investors-should-get-action-now-on-oil-and-gas/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }