Petroleum Industry 2020: People First: Global Mission
Authors: Al-Khalifa Abdul-Jaleel 
Published: February 2015

Our industry has sustained the growth and prosperity of mankind through the past 150 years. Our role now is to take this growth and prosperity forward. The new global landscape, however, has significantly raised the bar for us with an intensified focus on sustainability, which calls for meeting humanity's needs without harming future generations. In other words, it is a people-first approach to doing business.

Let me explain. A people-first approach calls for fair internal policies, vigilant leadership, and full engagement of our company workforce to develop and embrace advancing technologies. A people-first approach also calls for companies to be eco-friendly and socially responsible to people outside the business. Corporations' ability to extend care and support to deprived human beings will be the leading competitive advantage. It will be the main difference between dinosaurs and long-term survivors. Companies' ability to access new resources and to reach new global customers will depend on embracing sustainability and a people-first approach.

On a personal level, isn't social responsibility what gives meaning and purpose to our life? As we aim for excellence, it is only rational to aim for objectives beyond ourselves; beyond our company and home town; and beyond our region—goals that can shape the lives of mankind (Fig. 1). Nothing is closer to that than helping needy people, which draws on the deepest human value of love. This value can blossom to a level where one puts meeting others' needs ahead of self interest, as emphasized in many scriptures: "Those who are saved from their own greed, it is they who are the felicitous." This is the true spirit of the people-first concept. The need to live this value day by day has never been more important than now, with the increasing division between rich and poor further endangering the stability of the geopolitical landscape. The voluntary contributions of our members, our corporations, and our industry can make a difference. This contribution can very well be in the form of teaching people "how to fish" and live on their own. Besides being the right thing to do, such efforts can significantly polish our industry's image and help eradicate false perceptions in local communities.

Many oil and gas companies have made great commitments to sustainable development efforts. However, much of humanity still lives without access to basic necessities. More than 1.2 billion people have no access to clean water. The World Bank estimates that it will take U.S.$40 billion to $60 billion per year in addition to foreign aid to achieve the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals for halving global poverty by 2015.3 This is not impossible to achieve. Indeed, U.S.$40 to $60 billion per year is a fraction of the cost of fighting wars and conflicts in many places around the world. Also, U.S.$40 to $60 billion is only 0.1% of the global gross domestic products (GDP). I strongly believe that it is not the population and lack of resources that creates this striking imbalance; instead, it is the poor management of resources.