The 27th edition of the World Energy Congress set to be hosted in Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, will spotlight energy transitions delivery, it was announced this week.
According to organisers the energy event, running from 26-29 October 2026, will focus on “practical and actionable opportunities in the energy sector,” taking into consideration the different national and economic circumstances. This serves as a continuation of the discussions hosted at the Rotterdam edition, where an emphasis was placed on energy transitions in the plural.
In a statement this week, the World Energy Council explained that the theme ‘Inspiring Transformations, Delivering Transitions” moves beyond “redesigning energy” and seeks to connect the dots between “visionary thinking and practical action.”
“There is not a single choice of one energy direction or another but rather multiple choices in building momentum along geographically diverse pathways,” said Dr Angela Wilkinson, Secretary General and CEO of the World Energy Council.
“We are aiming for and require a shift in gears – mindsets, measurement frameworks and momentum. Society can move from small incremental improvements to transformational outcomes, in different places and at different paces,” she added.
However, according to a 2024 report from the World Economic Forum (WEF), transition momentum has slowed in the last three years, rather than accelerating.
There is also a rising danger of a two-speed transition, according to UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell.
Last month at the Sustainable Investment Forum during Climate Week in New York, Stiell underlined that while climate investment is growing, the vast majority of this money is flowing to projects in the biggest economies.
“In the faster lanes, businesses in the well-capitalized global north reaping huge profits as the transition gathers pace and scale. Or – increasingly – acceleration in some major developing economies – which are driving much of their own investment,” said Stiell.
In contrast, Stiell noted that many other developing countries are “hamstrung: by sky-high costs of capital, which he said are often based “on outdated or ill-founded” perceptions around risk in these markets, or “mired in spiralling debt crises.”
“The injustice and imbalance is not only unacceptable, it is self-defeating – for every economy,” said the Executive Secretary.
A recent IRENA report reviewing progress on the COP28 tripling pledge echoed this disparity, noting that The geographic deployment of renewable power remains “highly uneven”. In 2023, Asia, Europe and North America accounted for almost 85 per cent of global installed capacity, while Africa made up just 1.6 per cent.