TotalEnergies seeks stakeholders’ commitment to carbon neutrality

Solomon Ezeme

As part of efforts to foster sustainable development of the planet (Earth) TotalEnergies has called for a collective commitment from petroleum industry stakeholders to carbon neutrality by 2050 in order to combat climate change. This was the statement made by the Managing Director, Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Ltd., Mr Mike Sangster, while speaking on behalf of TotalEnergies,at the 2021 Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition (NAICE), theme: “The Future of Energy – A Trilogy of Determinants: Climate Change, Public Health, and the Global Oil Market.” held on Monday in Lagos.

Sangster who was represented by Mr. Victor Bandele, Deputy Managing Director, Deep Water, Total E&P Nigeria, disclosed that there was a clear relationship between climate change and public health.

According to him, the industry stakeholders must address concerns over its contribution to climate change. He further emphasised that the production and use of energy contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

He said: “Therefore, meeting the climate challenge will mean embarking on energy transition, i.e. transforming the way we produce and use energy. The company said climate change was a reality and requires the collective mobilisation of society. The 2015 Paris Agreement generated a groundswell of awareness of the climate emergency.

“Five years later, the target recommended by the experts is a carbon-neutral society by 2050. This is a demanding goal that we must all, collectively, commit to. This means that the future of energy is changing, and if we must remain relevant in the energy market of the future, then we must continue to adapt.

“Together with society, we are adapting to a world-class player in the energy transition with a target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

Sangster added that 2020-2030 would be a decade of change for TotalEnergies as it would become a broad energy company.