The Decarbonization Challenge:
The leaders of today meet the innovators of tomorrow
One of the highlights during OTD Energy takes place on the Energy Stage during day one, where representatives from operators Wintershall, Vår Energi and Aker Solutions, alongside a student from the University of Stavanger will discuss decarbonization and the future of the industry.
The event is part of the student program OTD Young, but all visitors and excibitors at OTD Energy are welcome to attend.
Read more: OTD Young
The debate will revolve around the pivotal role that students, soon-to-be entrants in the workforce, can play in revolutionizing the landscape of green transition. Topics will encompass a wide spectrum of sustainability endeavors, spanning from carbon capture and storage to the greening of petroleum production.
Moderator is Linn Katrine Høie, whose career has spanned leadership roles in enterprises such as Petrolia NOCO and Aker BP. As head of Petrolia NOCO, she recruited a staff of young talents and built a strong team who made one of the largest discoveries on the NCS in 2020.
Speaking passionately about the upcoming event, Høie emphasizes the importance of building confidence and motivation in the next generation.
– My ambition for the event is to make the students and young professionals in the audience to feel a sense of importance, and to get an understand of why and how. They deserve to experience the satisfaction of knowing they can contribute. Confidence is crucial, especially when facing significant challenges like the green transition. My aim is to ignite their engagement and motivation, says Høie.
Høie further emphasizes the need to shift the narrative from corporate logos to individuals.
– We talk about change using the name of an enterprise, but this is really all about individuals, not logos. We need to dig into it at an individual level. An average person makes around 17000 decisions every day. When an enterprise make decisions it is still due to individuals pushing it. A great decision might not appear as positive change until 10 years down the road. We all need to improve how we communicate great, robust decisions through storytelling to motivate younger generations.
One of the central tenets of Høie’s approach is demystifying complex issues and fostering a culture of open dialogue on the future of the energy sector.
– I would say that the product itself isn´t the problem. Hydrocarbons plays a significant role in the energy mix. It´s about generating engagement and building a “green culture” in the industry that may be somewhat different from what it is today, says Høie. The culture transition might be equally important.
Høie’s approach to moderating the panel involves bringing forth the personal stories and challenges faced by the participants and their respective companies:
– I want to highlight those on stage and showcase how they are truly contributing to producing energy as cleanly as possible. We will bring to light the challenges they and their companies face, and how they navigate the resistance they encounter. It´s about getting them on stage to relax and move beyond corporate facades, says Høie.
In addressing the unique characteristics of younger professionals, Høie underlines the importance of presenting them with complex challenges:
– The younger people are, the more they thrive on challenges. We can observe that looking at children in kinder garden. There has been extensive research on the topic, and innovation and creativity tend to decline with age. That’s why it’s incredibly important to quickly expose recent graduates to the challenges associated with decarbonization. Young recruits need to be handed almost a founder’s responsibility and set to work on problem-solving, rather than waiting until they’re 40 to be entrusted with such tasks.
In an industry where traditional roles are often predefined, Høie proposes a novel approach to the decarbonization challenge.
– People are hired for specific positions, with predetermined tasks with role descriptions. What if an enterprise define “Business Challenges” and hire individuals to work with problem solving? Bringing the approach of a startup into an enterprise: falling in the with the problem.
We all have a major responsibility in teaching our children how to solve problems, by giving them an in-depth understanding of the challenges, down to the smallest detail. The collaborative approach on the NCS with Joint Ventures, Høie believe in world class collaborative problem-solving.
– The decarbonization challenge is all about cross organizational collaboration and creating success together: off work, and at work. Enjoying others success and understanding the importance of value chain collaboration.
– I would like to quote Kenneth H. Blanchard; “None of us is as smart as all of us”.
The Decarbonization Challenge panel will present ideas and perspectives, where the leaders of today and the innovators of tomorrow converge to shape a more sustainable future for the energy industry, and exploring the upside of innovation, particularly that of students and young professionals.
