Beyer joins WFES panel: Does energy security trump net zero?

At the World Future Energy Summit, Jeffrey Beyer and the panel were asked: "Does energy security trump net zero?" 

Beyer addresses the World Future Energy Summit

For energy importers, it’s a false choice. The two reinforce each other. More renewables = more local supply at predictable prices = more security. But for energy exporters, the question is different.

In the GCC and other exporting economies, energy security is really about demand stability at prices that sustain public budgets. Against that backdrop, is net zero a threat, or an opportunity?

🌏 Building renewables in the GCC cuts local emissions, which is good for the planet and for global stability

⚡ Renewables also displace oil, diesel, and gas burned domestically, freeing more volumes for export and strengthening fiscal resilience

🧪 Diversification matters: Petrochemicals, fertilisers, and other non-fuel uses typically face lower price volatility than fuels. Coupled with CCUS, these products create lower-carbon exports that remain competitive in markets with carbon pricing

⚛️ Net zero also creates new markets like clean hydrogen where the GCC is structurally advantaged

Done right, net zero doesn’t undermine energy security for exporters. It reframes it around resilience, diversification, and long-term competitiveness.

Thanks to Robert Jones for the invitation, Jennifer Gnana for the moderation, and to Ute Collier, Deger Boden and Robin Mills for joining Beyer on the panel.