Fossil Fragility: Geopolitical Shocks, Security, and the Case for a Clean Energy Future

From fuel shortages across Southeast Asia to surging energy costs in Europe and deepening food insecurity in Africa, the conflict in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have laid bare what the data has long shown: economies built on fossil fuels remain perpetually vulnerable to geopolitical instability and volatile markets. Behind the price charts and supply disruption figures are real consequences — families struggling with high fuel costs, farmers facing a planting season upended by fertilizer shortages, and communities recovering following austerity measures. 

Initially, many governments reached for familiar tools like releasing strategic oil reserves, seeking alternative fuel suppliers, and relaxing emissions rules to allow coal to fill supply gaps. Yet some countries that had already invested in clean energy weather this shock with greater resilience, offering a powerful demonstration that the energy transition is not just a climate imperative — it is a security one. 

This session examines whether the current energy crisis can be a catalyst for lasting change, or whether the world is condemned to repeat the same cycle of fossil fuel shocks. Distinguished experts will assess how countries have responded, what lies ahead, and what it will take to turn disruption into a transformative leap toward a cleaner, more secure energy future. 

Speakers 

• Jayant Sinha, former Union Minister of State for Finance, India 
• Swati Dhingra, Professor at the London School of Economics and external member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee 
• Julie Rosenberg, Chief Economist, World Resources Institute 
• Nick Robins, Senior Director, Finance and Private Sector, World Resources Institute (moderator) 
• Additional speakers to be confirmed.