• Carlos Pascual

Carlos Pascual

IHS Markit

Senior Vice President, Global Energy

Carlos Pascual joined IHS Markit in January 2015 as Senior Vice President to focus on global energy issues and international affairs. Mr. Pascual was previously US Ambassador to both Mexico and Ukraine and was Special Assistant to the US president for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia on the National Security Council. Mr. Pascual created the position of Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization in the State Department, establishing the first civilian response capacity to conflicts. As the former US Energy Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs at the State Department, Mr. Pascual established and directed the Energy Resources Bureau and served as the Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State on energy issues. In that role, he led the negotiations on Iranian oil sanctions with China, India, and other countries. Mr. Pascual has held board positions in energy companies as well as energy and power-focused private investment firms. Mr. Pascual is also part of the GE Ecomagination Advisory Board and board member of the Atlantic Council. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University and a Master of Public Policy degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

SESSIONS WITH Carlos Pascual

Monday, 1 March

  • 10:05am - 10:35am (CST) / 01/mar/2021 04:05 pm - 01/mar/2021 04:35 pm

    Plenary

    The Geopolitics of The New Map
    Panel Geopolitics/Policy/Regulatory
    The United States seeks to move from polarization to internal unity and global leadership. Europe has launched itself to become the first net-zero continent. China has staked out an assertive role in setting the rules of trade and patterns of security in Asia. Iran has accelerated its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Russia could become a kingmaker or spoiler everywhere. What will top the Biden administration’s agenda? Is multilateralism a viable path to stability or an eclipsed force?  
  • 11:50am - 12:20pm (CST) / 01/mar/2021 05:50 pm - 01/mar/2021 06:20 pm

    Plenary

    Oil & Gas: What kind of recovery?
    Panel Markets/Economics/Strategy Downstream/Midstream/Chemicals Upstream Oil & Gas Finance & Investment/Trading & Risk Management

    The COVID pandemic collapsed oil and gas demand in 2020, and some believe that energy transition and ESG financial pressures may challenge future demand. Oil and gas producers globally are racing to reduce costs and emissions. Still, investors have fled from hydrocarbon assets, and sustained low investment could constrain supply capacity to meet demand. What are the implications for price swings, investment patterns and company strategies? Will the financial sector shape the future of this recovery?

  • 12:30pm - 01:00pm (CST) / 01/mar/2021 06:30 pm - 01/mar/2021 07:00 pm

    Plenary

    How Governments & Businesses Align on Net Zero
    Panel Markets/Economics/Strategy Clean Tech Geopolitics/Policy/Regulatory Energy Transition/Climate & Sustainability Decarbonization Pathways

    The European Union is the first regional body to commit itself to net-zero emissions by 2050. Globally, two thirds of the world’s emissions are in countries committed to net zero. Governments will shape the policies, laws, and regulations that drive investment and business strategies. Companies will drive innovation, technology, and investments that make net zero a reality. This discussion with government and industry leaders will foreshadow the challenges and opportunities for aligning interests. 

  • 01:10pm - 01:40pm (CST) / 01/mar/2021 07:10 pm - 01/mar/2021 07:40 pm

    Strategic Dialogue

    US Energy Policy, Climate & the New Administration
    Panel Geopolitics/Policy/Regulatory Energy Transition/Climate & Sustainability
    The United States rejoined the Paris Agreement on day one of President Joe Biden’s administration. Climate change will play a fundamental role in American foreign policy as well domestic issues including national security. President Biden’s plan on energy and the environment aims to revitalize the economy, create new jobs, and restore American leadership around the world. What can we expect from a government-wide policy approach to the climate crisis? How will the oil and gas sector respond? Can the energy sector be a driving force behind economic growth and transformational change, and at what pace?

Tuesday, 2 March

  • 11:20am - 11:50am (CST) / 02/mar/2021 05:20 pm - 02/mar/2021 05:50 pm

    Plenary

    Reinventing Energy: What's next?
    Panel Upstream Oil & Gas Energy Transition/Climate & Sustainability
    Energy transition demands innovation. Oil and gas companies are racing to increase efficiencies, reduce costs, and raise productivity. Digitalization has become a core tool in all forms of energy to understand, control, avoid, and reduce emissions. Hydrogen, carbon capture, better batteries, and other emerging technologies are bidding to reshape the energy mix. How are companies stepping up to the challenge of innovation? How are financial institutions shaping their incentives?
  • 01:15pm - 01:45pm (CST) / 02/mar/2021 07:15 pm - 02/mar/2021 07:45 pm

    Strategic Dialogue

    Ministerial Plenary
    Panel Markets/Economics/Strategy Innovation & Technology Geopolitics/Policy/Regulatory Finance & Investment/Trading & Risk Management
    Energy ministers face a dual challenge: energy security and sustainability. Emerging technologies and declining renewable costs increase optionality. New technologies can create new risks on intermittency and supply chains. How do governments incentivize and manage technology change and risk? What are the employment costs as parts of an energy economy fade and others grow? What strategies work to incentivize private investment? Hear the inside story on aligning politics and aspirations. 

Wednesday, 3 March

  • 09:00am - 09:35am (CST) / 03/mar/2021 03:00 pm - 03/mar/2021 03:35 pm

    Plenary

    New Map of the Middle East
    Panel Markets/Economics/Strategy Geopolitics/Policy/Regulatory Gas & LNG

    The EastMed Gas Forum (EGF) and the Abraham Accords have made energy cooperation between Israel and the Arab world a reality. With UAE joining the EGF, the Gulf joins the Mediterranean to chart the future of regional gas potential. The Abraham Accords have created a bridge to share clean technologies from batteries to autonomous vehicles. How will these new foundations for cooperation shape the energy future of the Middle East? Will new realities on energy cooperation also reshape regional politics?

Thursday, 4 March

  • 08:00am - 08:30am (CST) / 04/mar/2021 02:00 pm - 04/mar/2021 02:30 pm

    Plenary

    Welcome Remarks & Special Dialogue with Hon. Gina McCarthy
    Interview Markets/Economics/Strategy Geopolitics/Policy/Regulatory
    As one of the first acts of his Administration, President Joe Biden appointed the Hon. Gina McCarthy to become the first White House National Climate Advisor and lead the domestic climate policy agenda. The US economy, withered by the unyielding advance of a global pandemic, is seeking both short-term relief as well as a path to sustainable growth. What will be Biden’s climate strategy? How will the United States align long-term goals with short-term actions? What measures will the Administration enact on “energy justice” to compensate for job losses as parts of the energy economy shrink?

Friday, 5 March

  • 08:30am - 08:55am (CST) / 05/mar/2021 02:30 pm - 05/mar/2021 02:55 pm

    Plenary

    Leadership Dialogue with Hon. Kathy Castor
    Interview Innovation & Technology Geopolitics/Policy/Regulatory Transportation & Mobility Energy Transition/Climate & Sustainability
    The bipartisan House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis has published one of the most detailed action plans in the US Congress on mobilizing legislative action to redress climate change. Committee Chair Kathy Castor will highlight the opportunities and challenges moving forward. Issues on resilience were made mainstream with the Texas energy crisis. The Biden challenge of carbon free power by 2035 will also challenge the Congress on passing supporting legislation. Will the climate agenda be driven by regulation or legislation? Will Congress and the Administration align on priorities? Can sustainability against climate change garner bipartisan support? 
  • 10:15am - 10:45am (CST) / 05/mar/2021 04:15 pm - 05/mar/2021 04:45 pm

    Plenary

    Globalization: Will it survive?
    Panel Geopolitics/Policy/Regulatory Finance & Investment/Trading & Risk Management
    The COVID pandemic illustrated that the world is inextricably interconnected. And the devastation caused by that very interconnectedness has accelerated attacks on globalization. The US-China trade war launched moves to supply chain diversification. Yet still the commercial power of comparative trade advantages sustain pressure to strategize globally. Has the era of globalization shifted to the imperative of de-coupling? Can technology reduce the risks of supply chain management? What happens when transnational forces, from pandemics to economic contagion, do not recognize sovereign borders?
  • 12:00pm - 12:30pm (CST) / 05/mar/2021 06:00 pm - 05/mar/2021 06:30 pm

    Plenary

    Will Energy Innovation Deliver?
    Panel Clean Tech Digitalization Innovation & Technology Energy Transition/Climate & Sustainability Decarbonization Pathways
    It’s harder than designing a cell phone app. From carbon air capture to nuclear fusion, energy innovation demands scale and capital to have impact. Can 2021 technologies bridge the gap to net-zero emissions? Can green hydrogen become the emission-free gas of the future? Can batteries overcome supply chain constraints to balance renewable energy intermittency? Much depends on whether ideation and innovation can beat the constraints of time to transform our energy infrastructure.
  • 12:35pm - 12:50pm (CST) / 05/mar/2021 06:35 pm - 05/mar/2021 06:50 pm

    Plenary

    Concluding Thoughts
    Interview Energy Transition/Climate & Sustainability
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