Recorded on October 23, 2024 and October 2, 2024

Episode 118 of the PetroNerds podcast is part two of the politics, ESG, and climate special with Paul Tice, NYU Stern Professor, investor, and fellow at the National Center for Energy Analytics.

Trisha Curtis starts this podcast with a complete rip of the current volatility in US and global markets, oil prices, the US election, comments by Paul Tudor Jones on CNBC on debt and economic crises, the Harris team’s comments on not enabling US oil and gas and fracking, Baker Hughes’ CEO comments on the role of natural gas as a “transition fuel” and a “destination fuel,” and Trisha’s contentious interview with the BBC on their Rare Earth program. Trisha Curtis on BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00244x3

The conversation continues with Paul Tice and Trisha Curtis asks Paul a series of questions on ESG and ESG vs. DEI. Paul talks about companies and climate science and a lack of push back and leadership across the board. They get into regulations, the Paris Climate Accord, SDG rules, and Trisha gets into primary energy consumption in the OECD vs the non OECD. They talk about regulations and politics and fracking bans and the reality of a Harris Administration vs. Trump. Paul says we need to educate the public and use the legal system to push back. Trisha talks about politics, the election, and how the oil and gas industry may not be able to come back from another four years of this. Paul talks about the use of setbacks and other limitations to ban fracking without banning fracking. Paul and Trisha talk about US production, policies against the oil and gas industry, the resiliency of US oil production, and the industry’s need to get real on politics.

Paul says ESG allows the developing world to produce oil and gas while strangling the developed world and the West from producing oil and gas. He talks about the need to challenge the underlying premise of climate. Trisha asks Paul about the proponents of ESG and how it is distorting and impacting business and Paul dispels that ESG is not helpful for financial performance. Paul says oil and gas has to be more outspoken but also more selective in their investors. Paul Tice says “anyone who wants to talk about ESG metrics is not a real investor.”

Paul closes the podcast by saying there are ways to turn the tide with politicians and business leaders getting over the fear factor and pushing back on ESG and climate. There is soo much in this jam packed mic drop podcast you are not going to want to miss it folks. Share this PetroNerdy PetroNerds special with your friends and colleagues.

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