There’s a saying that facts tell and stories sell, and Kurt Aerts, business venture executive at ExxonMobil, does both well.in Sevilla, Spain, Aerts delivered an in-depth analysis of why oil and natural gas remain critical sources for energy and require sustained investments to help meet the energy needs of the future.“More than three billion people still live below modern standards for life expectancy, education, and income,” Aerts explained.
ExxonMobil considers a range of scenarios to help inform the company’s strategic thinking, including those supplied by organizations such asthe United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. “At ExxonMobil, we decided to leverage our existing strengths and core capabilities to determine our focus areas while monitoring technology gaps to explore potential business options,” said Aerts. “This means we’ll maintain a continued focus on our core business including oil and natural gas, chemicals, and carbon capture while we explore and develop opportunities in new sectors such as hydrogen, biofuels, and lithium.”For example, ExxonMobil has always been a leader in chemicals.
At the same time, the company is accelerating its research, development, and growth in areas that have previously not been part of its core business. Lithium, for example, is a key component in electric vehicle batteries. To meet projected growth in electric vehicles, the world will need a lot more of it.