The future of energy is neither purely fossil-based nor exclusively renewable

We cannot ignore the scale and complexity of the energy transition, but equally, we cannot shy away from the responsibility of making it happen in the right way, Pippa Ganderton tells OGN

- ABDULAZIZ KHATTAK

ANYONE who thinks the world can simply “switch off” oil and gas production and seamlessly replace it with renewable energy is fooling themselves.

"These may sound like strong words - particularly coming from someone who has spent over five years driving sustainability strategies - but they are a grounded fact," Pippa Ganderton, Director of ATPI Halo, tells OGN energy magazine.

As Director of ATPI Halo, a client-focused portfolio of services designed to help organisations manage more responsible travel and events programmes, Ganderton’s role is dedicated to sustainability.

Yet, with more than 30 years in the global travel industry, spanning aviation and Travel Management Companies (TMCs), including a focus on travel logistics for the energy industry, Ganderton has also developed a pragmatic understanding of the critical role fossil fuels play in daily life.

This combination of professional experience, passion for sustainability, and exposure to the realities of energy logistics has led her to become an informed realist.

"We cannot ignore the scale and complexity of the energy transition. But equally, we cannot shy away from the responsibility of making it happen in the right way," she says.

FOSSIL FUELS: EMBEDDED IN MODERN LIFE

When people think of fossil fuels, most picture cars, planes, and power stations. Yet hydrocarbons underpin far more than transportation and electricity.

They are embedded in pharmaceuticals, protective fibres, personal protective equipment (PPE), fertilisers, and even the manufacture of solar panels themselves.

The idea that these inputs could be quickly eliminated isn't a realistic one. Identifying, testing, and scaling viable renewable alternatives for such wide-ranging applications will take decades of research and development.