BLACK GOLD BULLETIN

A recent survey by Bain & Company reveals that despite record investments in clean energy, energy and natural resources executives are growing less confident about achieving net-zero carbon emissions in the near future. Financial constraints, shareholder reluctance, and policy uncertainties were identified as major barriers to progress. Source: pandemin/getty images Net-Zero Timeline Pushed Further Bain’s 2025 Energy & Natural Resources Executive Survey found that nearly half (44%) of industry executives now believe global net-zero emissions won’t be reached until 2070 or later, a sharp rise from 31% in 2024. Conversely, only 32% expect net-zero by 2050, a decline from previous surveys where 40–50% had anticipated that timeline. Oil and gas executives, on average, predict peak oil demand around 2038, indicating that fossil fuels will remain critical in meeting energy needs for years to come. The Challenge of Balancing Investment and Decarbonization Bain’s survey, which gathered...

Energy Minister John Jinapor has announced that the West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCO) has reduced gas supply to Ghana due to an outstanding $20 million debt, further worsening the country’s ongoing energy crisis. Source: WAPCo Image Library This comes amid mounting challenges in the energy sector, with independent power producers and ENI also threatening to halt supply. According to Jinapor, the sector is burdened with a massive GHS 80 billion debt, posing a serious risk to stable power generation. Speaking to the media, he acknowledged the financial struggles but reassured the public that the government has no plans to revert to prolonged power outages, commonly known as “dumsor.” He emphasized that while efforts are being made to maintain a stable power supply, the country is not undergoing load shedding, making a timetable unnecessary. “This is a supply issue; no load management is required. The official daily reports I receive confirm that we are not shedding load, so there...