GET Congress and Exhibition Press Release Day 1

Inaugural Global Energy Transition Congress 2024 Welcomes Energy Leaders and Innovators for First Day of Conference and Exhibition

Rt. Honourable Tony Blair, Former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, delivered the opening keynote address, calling on the international community to accelerate critical climate action.

Day 1 featured action-oriented discussions with leading actors in the global energy system, including Secretary John F. Kerry and H.E. Parviz Shahbazov.

Sessions focused on innovative strategies for a stable and secure international energy transition, with key speakers including James Apputhurai of NATO.

Milan, 1 July 2024 – The Global Energy Transition (GET) Congress 2024 launched today in Milan, uniting low-carbon energy sectors and high-carbon industries around the pressing need to develop and scale decarbonisation technologies that can accelerate the energy transition.

Addressing the energy leaders and innovators at the Opening Ceremony, the Right Honourable Tony Blair, Former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, set the tone for the inaugural 3-day event in an engaging conversation with moderator Nik Gowing, Founder and Director of Think the Unthinkable:

“The energy transition has begun, it is just not happening fast enough. We must focus on the practical solutions, around financing and technology, and how we help the industry find a path where they can both run a successful business and play a part in the energy transition. The policies have to be radical, but they also have to be sensible."

As recent estimates reveal, limiting global warming to 1.5°C will require achieving net zero emissions in the energy sector by 2050. In this context, the GET Congress has emerged as a vital platform for leading actors across key sectors, including government, finance, energy and industry, to come together and align on the innovative projects and forward-focused policies that will deliver significant emissions reductions and a stable, secure, and affordable energy transformation.

Reflecting the urgent need for such high-level collaboration and leadership, the first day of the GET Congress saw the start of the Changemakers Programme, which featured insights from the stakeholders and decision makers driving the energy transition forward. Speakers included Secretary John F. Kerry, 68th U.S. Secretary of State; H.E. Musadik Malik, Minister of Energy, Pakistan; Sanjiv Lamba, CEO of Linde; and Lorenzo Simonelli, President and CEO of Baker Hughes.

Participating in the session “Geopolitics, energy security and new challenges to net zero”, James Apputhurai, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Innovation, Hybrid and Cyber at NATO, explored the strategies and solutions needed to overcome historic barriers to wide scale decarbonisation: “To preserve our security, culture and way of life, we have to do a lot of things we haven’t done before. We have to innovate and protect our society, so that all of society can work with us. And this very much involves the energy sector.”

Consistent with the global scope and ambitions of the GET Congress – which is showcasing 200+ exhibiting companies and welcoming participants from more than 120 countries – the opening day also emphasised the need for collective and inclusive efforts on key climate priorities, including the expansion of decarbonisation-focused investments. As part of a dedicated panel on the climate rights of emerging economies, H.E. Parviz Shahbazov, Minister of Energy for COP29 host country Azerbaijan, discussed the incredible progress being made in emerging markets:

“Azerbaijan today demonstrates its determination to move toward renewables and contribute to the secure energy transition, not only of this region, but worldwide. Our national energy policy aims to maximise green growth, and more than 2 billion dollars of investment is expected to increase the share of expected capacity to 33% by 2027.”

With contributions from the world’s leading voices on energy, policy, technology and finance, the GET Congress is establishing itself as an unrivalled forum for accelerating the groundbreaking innovations and projects that will transform the global path to net zero. With three distinct conferences - the Strategic Conference, Project X-Change, and Roadmaps to Net Zero – and a sprawling exhibition floor featuring 200+ exhibitors, the inaugural event will continue to shape the future of decarbonisation over the next two days, Tuesday the 2nd and Wednesday the 3rd of July at the Allianz Mico Milano Convention Center.

-ENDS-

Notes to the Reader:

GET will take place from Allianz MiCo – GATE 4, Viale Scarampo, 20149 Milan, Italy.

The Global Energy Transition Congress & Exhibition (GET) is a premier event that brings together thought leaders, innovators, and industry experts from the energy, hard-to-abate sectors, finance, and start-ups to address the critical challenges and opportunities to decarbonise industry and accelerate the global energy transition. GET serves as a vital platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and showcasing low-carbon solutions and decarbonisation technologies that will shape the future of the energy transition worldwide. With a focus on achieving net-zero emissions, GET is set to attract participants from diverse sectors and countries to foster collaboration and drive meaningful change.

Media wishing to attend:

Please register at www.getcongress.com/get-content-media-hub/press-registration/

For more information, please visit www.getcongress.com

For media enquiries, contact:

[email protected] / +44 7570 285977

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