The Future of Energy: ESG, Skills, and Strategy in Transition

10 November 2025

The global energy and natural resources (ENR) sector is at a turning point. As geopolitical uncertainty, technological disruption, and sustainability imperatives reshape the industry, companies must rethink how they manage people, pay, and purpose.

A Shifting Energy Landscape

According to WTW, global emissions are projected to peak by 2025 and decline toward 2050, but current efforts still fall short of the Paris Agreement targets. While renewable energy continues to grow, they face infrastructure and cost challenges, prompting nuclear energy to re-emerge as a reliable option—especially as major technology firms invest in clean power for AI-driven operations. Fossil fuels will continue to play a notable role, contributing 40–60% of global energy demand by 2050, even as electricity consumption doubles or triples. In 2024, global investment in the energy transition reached a record USD 2.1 trillion, yet the world still faces an annual investment gap of about USD 3.5 trillion to stay on track for net zero.

Workforce and Rewards: Trends for 2025–2026

WTW’s 2025 Global Salary Budget Planning Survey and Energy & Natural Resources Insights reveal that salary budgets will remain steady, while organizations respond to rising regulation and evolving workforce expectations. Key findings include:

Pay transparency: 67% of organizations are enhancing transparency in line with the EU Pay Transparency Directive.
Equity and fairness: One-third of firms now publish pay equity narratives, projected to rise to 75%.
Technology integration: 29% of organizations are using digital tools to build skills-based environments primarily through conventional tools like learning management systems, as they strive to align workforce capabilities with strategic goals.
Flexible global pay: Nearly 9 in 10 respondents apply standardized approaches for sharing pay ranges across all locations as part of a global strategy to accommodate flexible work models and local regulatory requirements.

Across the ENR sector, the top drivers for attraction and retention are pay (63%), job security (47%), health benefits (32%), and flexible work arrangements (29%), with growing importance placed on meaningful work and career growth.

ESG Beyond Compliance

In a keynote session led by Dr. Nophea Sasaki, Sasin’s Professor of ESG and Sustainability, examined how Thailand’s evolving climate policies are reshaping the energy landscape. “Carbon tax and emissions trading are redefining Thailand’s energy sector, turning compliance into a catalyst for strategic change,” said Dr. Nophea. Highlights include:

Thailand’s Carbon Tax (2025): Launching in 2025 at 200 Baht per ton CO₂—making Thailand the second ASEAN country after Singapore to implement carbon pricing.
Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS, 2027): A national cap-and-trade program is planned for 2027 under the new Climate Change Act to help meet the country’s net-zero goals.
Digital Transparency: Real-time MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, Verification) systems and digital MRV tools, like IoT sensors, smart meters, and blockchain can cut reporting errors by up to 40 percent and reduce verification costs by 30 percent (WEF- PwC, 2024 ).

Dr. Nophea added that companies with strong sustainability indicators are better at retaining their staff and can even outperform other firms in this area.”Companies that quantify and disclose their carbon performance can better manage risks and seize market opportunities,” he added. WTW’s report emphasizes that carbon pricing and ESG standards such as IFRS S2 and EU CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) are transforming compliance into a strategic advantage—creating opportunities for cleaner investments, carbon credit revenues, and better access to green financing. The panel on “The Future of Skills: Best Practices” also featured Dr. Somchai Songsiri, Assistant Governor for Planning and Engineering, Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA); Associate Professor Jompop Waewsak, Director of the Research Center in Energy and Environment, Thaksin University; Panutta Sangsuriyong, Vice President of Corporate HR Management, PTT, and Dr. Adisak Chandprapalert, Director of Work and Rewards, WTW Thailand and Indochina. Dr. Adisak highlighted the highest-demand roles in the energy sector, including engineers, logistics and supply chain professionals, and sales or product development roles. He also noted emerging skills such as cybersecurity, seamless digital integration, and infrastructure design. He emphasized that organizations must align their talent strategies with business goals to stay agile. Dr. Somchai stressed that energy-sector professionals need digital literacy, business understanding, and strong leadership/ soft skills. He added that the future power sector will require more indicators with data as a key asset, and new roles will function as enablers within evolving ecosystems: “The future power sector needs more than specialists, it needs integrators. Those who can connect the physical world of electricity with the digital world of data.” Associate Professor Jompop emphasized the importance of problem-based and activity-based learning, along with digital reskilling and upskilling to prepare for rapid changes in the energy landscape. Panutta outlined the essential skills for ESG-related roles at PTT: logical thinking, creativity, sustainability literacy, self-management, empathy, listening, and adaptability. To navigate uncertainty, PTT is focused on performance uplift, boosting productivity, reducing costs, and identifying where technology and AI can drive efficiency. Overall, the panel emphasized that future-ready organizations need flexible structures, aligned strategies, and cultures with the right mindset to stay competitive in a fast-changing industry.

A Call to Action

WTW concludes that energy companies can thrive amid transition by embedding data, digital tools, and ESG strategy into core operations. Organizations that integrate skills development, pay equity, and climate accountability will not only meet compliance demands but also gain long-term resilience and competitiveness.