Letter from Amsterdam: Europe’s IOCs first out of the blocks
As investor sentiment shifts, companies that align with the transition have a significant competitive edge
Europe’s biggest oil companies are all making strategic changes to mitigate future climate risks, a move spurred by investor, societal and political pressures that have given the firms a head-start in the energy transition race over competitors from less climate-focused regions. ‘Net zero by 2050’ has been the catchphrase among European IOCs over recent months. All of Europe’s biggest oil companies—BP, Total, Shell, Norway’s Equinor and Italy’s Eni—have committed to getting as close as possible to eliminating their carbon emissions by the middle of this century. Shell, Equinor and Eni have gone as far as including scope three emissions—the carbon released by their customers. North Amer
Also in this section
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy
11 March 2026
De la Rey Venter, CEO of LNG player MidOcean Energy, discusses strategy, project developments and the prospects for the LNG market
10 March 2026
From Venezuela to Hormuz, the US—backed by the most powerful military force ever assembled—is redrawing not only oil and gas flows but also the global balance of energy power
10 March 2026
By shutting the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has cut exports of distillate-rich Middle Eastern crude, jet fuel and diesel, and is holding the energy market hostage






