Burcu Gunal is the Director General of WPC Energy. She has been involved with WPC Energy for over 17 years as the executive secretary of the Turkish National Committee, a longstanding member of the WPC Energy Executive Committee, and was the founder of the WPC Energy Mentoring Programme. Here she speaks to Petroleum Economist to set out the mission for the 2026 WPC Energy Congress.
What is WPC Energy and what value does it bring to the energy sector?
Gunal: WPC Energy is a non-political, non-governmental association with charitable status in the UK. It was established in 1933 and has the aim of promoting the sustainable management and use of the world's energy resources for the benefit of all. In 2023, the association underwent a rebrand from the ‘World Petroleum Council’ to ‘WPC Energy’ to reflect its new strategy to cover all aspects of the energy landscape. It has 60 member countries, representing 96% of energy producers and consumers around the world.
The WPC Energy Congress is a major global event, addressing the whole energy industry. We believe the main value of the association lies in our deep global industry ties and the event’s focus on technical expertise and practical solutions to energy challenges, as well as the legacy we leave to the industry.
The next event, the 25th WPC Energy Congress, will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from the 26-30 April 2026. Some 25,000 participants, including 500 CEOs and 100 ministers from around 120 countries, will attend discussions relating to the overarching theme: ‘Pathways to an energy future for all’.
The Riyadh Congress will have two key strands—an Executive Programme to address the strategic, economic and geopolitical aspects of the global energy sector and a Technical Programme to address the scientific, technological and operational aspects, involving the primary energy supply, energy infrastructure, fuels & molecules, energy technologies and leadership.
We will also have a special focus on sustainability, social responsibility, the circular economy, decarbonisation technologies, gender and young professionals in the technical programme as well as in the exhibition area.
The profit from each Congress goes towards financing a legacy project chosen by the host country.
What role does technology play in the new energy landscape?
Gunal: Advancements in technology are at the very core of the energy industry. From seismics to drilling advancements, from AI to digital, from wind and solar to carbon capture and smart grids—technology is helping us to re-imagine how energy is produced, delivered and consumed. It also helps us to improve efficiency, safety and to optimise operations and reduce emissions and costs throughout the energy value chain.
Of course, there are also workforce implications. Adopting new technologies requires the up-skilling of our talent pool—redefining job roles, creating new job titles and fostering partnerships.
With such a huge digital transformation taking place, there has never been a more important time to address these challenges.
What are the challenges for firms making investment decisions in the energy sector over the next few years?
Gunal: The biggest challenge currently seems to be the navigation of market volatility and the fluctuations in prices. Related to this are geopolitical risks and energy security concerns. Investment decisions require certainty and lately it has been very difficult to forecast what will happen in the future as a result of geopolitical uncertainties.
There are also risks associated with the transition—ESG pressures on financial returns, and the alignment of capital expenditure with ESG demands. Access to finance is shifting, with institutional capital moving towards lower carbon portfolios, and companies needing to demonstrate credible science-based transition plans.
In hydrogen, CCS and CCUS projects, there are also challenges associated with emerging technologies, as well as short-term investor demands and the long payback timelines.
What do you think are the biggest opportunities for growth in the energy sector today?
Gunal: For me, the biggest opportunity will come from partnerships forged across industry sectors and across geographies. Growth will depend on collaboration within technical, scientific, financial and regulatory domains.
Expanding energy access, especially in Africa, with decentralised and affordable solutions, is another area of growth, and progress will rely on these previously mentioned partnerships and collaborations.
Clearly, the rapid scale-up of decarbonisation and low carbon technologies is another area of growth. The global drive to decarbonise is opening up new markets and is taking an increasingly central role in discussions about the future energy landscape. Biofuels, waste-to-energy and other circular economy strategies are now becoming commercially viable and environmentally necessary.
Digital innovation is another big growth area. Blockchain technology in trading, the internet of things in monitoring and AI in forecasting—all these innovations are creating new business models every day.
How is the industry working to attract and retain the next generation of energy professionals?
Gunal: Companies and organisations are focusing on STEM education, youth inclusion, and mentorship through their individual programmes. Putting emphasis on the demonstration of new AI, robotics and sustainability technologies can further help to attract the next generation to our industry.
Young people seek purpose in what they do every day. Therefore, rebranding the energy sector as purpose-driven and innovative helps it appeal to young professionals who want meaningful careers. We need to clearly communicate that the world needs every kind of energy at the moment, and also that the energy industry, especially during the transition, is central to solving global challenges like climate change and energy poverty.
At WPC Energy we have a special focus on young professionals. We have an international Young Professionals Committee (YPC) that engages with our National Committees and has a say in all our sub-committees. We organise Youth Forums every other year, after our main Congress. The next Youth Forum will be in Kuwait in October 2025, with more details to be announced soon. We also carry out mentoring programs and young professionals’ surveys from which the YPC try to carry forward actionable results.
We hope these efforts can bridge the gap between the different generational perspectives in the energy sector.
To learn more visit www.wpcenergy.org and www.wpcenergy2026.org.
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