Against the backdrop of accelerating climate risk, senior executives, policymakers, diplomats, and international experts convened in Doha this week for the Al-Attiyah Foundation’s second CEO Roundtable of 2026.
Titled “Energy Security Takes Centre Stage: What It Means for Climate Ambition,” the roundtable, held under the Chatham House Rule, provided a high-level strategic forum to examine how governments and industries are recalibrating priorities as energy security rapidly overtakes climate change as the dominant driver of policy and investment decisions.
Moderated by renowned journalist and international broadcaster Stephen Cole, the discussion featured expert contributions from Erik Solheim, former Executive Director of UN Environment and former United Nations Under-Secretary-General; Janos Pasztor, former UN Assistant Secretary-General for Climate Change and Senior Advisor to the UN Secretary-General; Amal al-Dababseh, UNDP Regional Technical Advisor for Climate Change Mitigation and Energy for the Arab States Region; and Aldo Flores-Quiroga, former Deputy Secretary of Energy for Hydrocarbons at Mexico’s Ministry of Energy.
The roundtable explored how the global energy system is entering a period of structural transformation shaped simultaneously by geopolitical fragmentation, climate pressures, market volatility, technological disruption, and shifting investment patterns.
Participants discussed how energy security has evolved beyond traditional concerns over oil supply to encompass infrastructure resilience, cyber threats, critical minerals, affordability, and system reliability.
Discussions highlighted the growing tension between short-term security imperatives and long-term decarbonisation goals. Participants examined whether recent investments in LNG infrastructure and fossil fuel supply represent temporary responses to instability or signal a more permanent recalibration of the global energy transition.
The conversation also addressed whether the world is moving toward a “dual system” era in which hydrocarbons and clean energy must expand in parallel to maintain stability and affordability.
The discussion also examined how climate change is increasingly acting as a direct driver of energy insecurity, with extreme weather events, heatwaves, flooding, and water scarcity placing growing pressure on global energy systems and infrastructure.
Speakers emphasised the need to integrate climate resilience into long-term energy planning and investment strategies.
Speaking after the roundtable, Dr Mohammed bin Saleh al-Sada, member of the Board of Trustees of the Al-Attiyah Foundation, said: “At a time when the global energy system is being reshaped by geopolitical uncertainty, climate pressures, and economic volatility, this discussion provided an important opportunity for leaders to examine how energy security and climate ambition can be pursued together rather than in opposition. The transition ahead must not only be sustainable, but also resilient, secure, and realistic.”
The CEO Roundtable Series remains a cornerstone of the Foundation’s mission to facilitate informed dialogue and deliver independent insights on the future of global energy and sustainable development.
