New Oil- and Gas-Producing Countries Now Have an Online Home

Oil and gas extraction has often failed to benefit citizens in producing countries, and in many cases has exacerbated corruption and environmental damage. The New Producers Group is a network of officials from countries newly producing oil and gas or exploring production, that aims to change that by sharing resources and expertise on how to better manage the sector.
 
The group—coordinated by NRGI, Chatham House, the Commonwealth Secretariat and more than 30 member countries—has launched a new website that assembles research, videos, and other tools to support governments to develop strong policies, oversight and accountability around oil and gas production.

Climate change has amplified the urgency of establishing responsible and effective management of oil and gas. Developing countries face new challenges in marrying their economic and climate ambitions, and the global commitment to shift away from fossil fuels. Excessive expectations about the benefits of oil and gas production can also lead new producers to take on outsized debt and stifle investment in renewable energy, which could hold more sustainable benefits for the country.
 
The website hosts publications on topics ranging from the energy transition to building accountability, a roadmap for the group’s plans, and a members’ area where participants can share information and connect with each other. The group is currently focusing its efforts on understanding how oil and gas producers can best prepare for the global energy transition, which was the theme of the group’s 2020 annual meeting.
 
I encourage you explore the site and share it with others working in this space.

 
Patrick Heller is an advisor at the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI).