Izah Azahari
Brunei Darussalam, like most countries, is committed to addressing climate change and aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
This was said by Permanent Secretary of the Department of Energy at the Prime Minister’s Office and Interim Managing Director of Petroleum Authority of Brunei Darussalam (PA) Haji Azhar bin Haji Yahya during the opening ceremony of the Energy Symposium at International Convention Centre (ICC) yesterday.
The symposium, themed ‘CEO Dialogue on Future Energy Sectors in Brunei Darussalam’, saw speakers discuss and share views on the future of the oil and gas industry in the Sultanate.
The panellists were: the permanent secretary; Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd (BSP) Managing Director Agnete Johnsgaard-Lewis; Brunei LNG Sdn Bhd (BLNG) Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Hajah Farida binti Dato Seri Paduka Haji Talib; and Mohd Johan Ariff bin Mohd Supian from Petronas Carigali Brunei Ltd.
Haji Azhar in his keynote address outlined the direction the energy sector is heading in the next 10 years, shaped by the dynamic global market and politics; and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) on the environment, economy and sustainable energy.
He said the Sultanate is leveraging the strength of its energy industry to fuel economic diversification, particularly in increasing downstream activities.
“The rapid growth of downstream activities in recent years has helped Brunei double its export and strengthen the energy sector’s contribution to gross domestic product (GDP),” said Haji Azhar.
He also touched on the promising future for liquefied natural gas, renewables and hydrogen in supporting sustainable development; the Sultanate as a reliable and sustainable energy supplier; unlocking new frontiers and challenging resources; and maintaining momentum of diversification.
