The Disruptors: A conversation with Dev Sanyal

July 30, 2021 - 3 minutes
River running through a tree-lined forest
How do you decarbonize an economy built on carbon?

This was one of the many questions tackled at The Disruptors, our first virtual technology and energy transition conference. The two-day event showcased leading participants whose expertise is helping transform the industry landscape and facilitate the transition toward global decarbonization.

During a keynote session, Drew MacIntyre, Vice Chair at TD Securities, spoke to Dev Sanyal, EVP, Gas and Low Carbon Energy at bp, about the road to net-zero. "It was great speaking to Dev and hearing his thoughts on net-zero ambitions, integrated energy solutions and disruption in the industry," says Drew. "The work he and his team are doing is bold and ambitious, showing global leadership in the transition to a lower carbon future. We are proud to work alongside bp on their journey."

Here are a few of the highlights from their conversation:

What net-zero ambitions mean for business

With two-thirds of the world's economies having net-zero targets of 2050 or sooner, Dev points to a massive business opportunity at hand. To "rewire" the entire planet's energy system presents a roughly $100 trillion opportunity – one of the biggest of our lifetime.

There are many potential pathways to achieve net-zero, all of which will require collaboration among participating companies, institutions and governments. One avenue is to think about energy efficiency. With only ~12% of current primary energy usage worldwide converted to useful heat, light and mobility, there is a need to explore and create a more efficient energy system. Another pathway to consider is transitional incentives. Incentives – different from subsidies – are temporary and targeted at the early stages of financing, aiming to accelerate projects and get them off the ground.

Opportunity for venture capital and disruption

Quite simply, the role of venture capital is huge, says Dev, and bp has its own ‘bp Ventures’ arm. The task at hand requires urgency and scale, and so investing in these various companies and opportunities helps increase one's understanding of both new and existing operations, and corporations such as bp can bring the scale that is required.

In some way or another, all forms of energy can benefit from new techniques, tools and data that are disrupting the industry. By investing in these companies and technologies, one can gain a better understanding of how customers are thinking about the energy system and provide offers that are more sensible.

Drew MacIntyre headshot


Vice Chair, TD Securities

Drew MacIntyre headshot


Vice Chair, TD Securities

Drew MacIntyre headshot


Vice Chair, TD Securities

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