An oil tanker docked in Karachi
Letter from Pakistan: More oil and gas needed, not less
Countries such as Pakistan will require fossil fuels for a long time to come, requiring a reframing of the narrative around the energy transition
Immediately ending all fossil fuel consumption is often argued as a way to solve the climate crisis. The IEA reached a similar conclusion in its Net Zero 2050 report in 2021. But the idea fails to take into account the political economy of the energy transition. For countries such as Pakistan, where millions are still without access to electricity, stopping oil and gas consumption will result in slower economic progress and will deprive many of the better living standards that are their birthright. In short, Pakistan needs more oil and gas. There are multiple reasons for a country such as Pakistan to increase its oil and gas production. The country has used 17% of its oil and 6% of its gas
Also in this section
9 January 2026
The Latin American producer’s crude prospects rely on a multi-pronged approach where even the relatively easy wins will take considerable time, effort and cost
9 January 2026
While many forecasters are reasserting the importance of oil and gas, petrostates should be under no illusion things are changing, and faster than they might think
8 January 2026
Indonesia and Malaysia are at the dawn of breathtaking digital capabilities. Their energy infrastructure must keep up with their ambitions
8 January 2026
The next five years will be critical for the North Sea, and it will be policy not geology that will decide the basin’s future
