Letter from London: Just do the transition
Deployment of clean energy technology is gathering pace, but the transition is way behind where it needs to be
“The oil and gas sector is not part of the solution. The oil and gas sector is slowing down the transition.” That was one of several harsh messages delivered to the industry by Grahame Buss, spokesman for campaign group Just Stop Oil, at the recent International Energy Week (IE Week) conference. Buss, a former principal scientist at European oil major Shell, went on to call the recent COP28 climate talks in Dubai “another failure”. “We have 2,500 oil executives there. Why do they think they are there? To slow down the transition,” he said. Buss shared the podium with David Whitehouse, CEO of North Sea industry group Offshore Energies UK, who responded with a passionate defence of his industr
Also in this section
14 January 2026
Continent’s governments must seize the green hydrogen opportunity by refining policies and ramping up the development of supply chains and infrastructure
6 January 2026
Shifts in government policy and rising power demand will shape the clean hydrogen sector as it attempts to gain momentum following a sluggish performance in 2025
23 December 2025
Government backing and inflow of private capital point to breakthrough year for rising star of the country’s clean energy sector
19 December 2025
The hydrogen industry faces an important choice: coordinated co-evolution or patched-together piecemeal development. The way forward is integrated co-evolution, and freight corridors are a good example






