Oil & Gas Alerts

I'm staying at the Peninsula Hotel in the 16th arrondissement of Paris right now. It's one of the city's most affluent neighborhoods and centrally located among some of Paris' most popular historic landmarks. For instance, just downstairs from where I'm sitting is "Le Bar Kléber," where U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger signed the Paris Peace Accords that ended the Vietnam War.

But I'm not here for the history. This trip is about the future of energy markets, and the Paris Climate Agreement that was signed barely seven miles from here, in the small town of Le Bourget.

You see, as of the European Union's acceptance of the agreement this month, more than 190 members of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have signed the agreement, and 81 members have ratified it. That's enough to bring the treaty into force on Nov. 4.

Now, regardless of how you may feel about climate change, the Paris Agreement is fact – soon to become a legally binding one. The rules covering greenhouse gas emissions are going to change, but most importantly for investors, we'll see changes in energy markets and finance.

It makes good sense to prepare for these changes, and I'm in Paris to help you do just that. The City of Light is home to the International Energy Agency and many of the biggest players in the global energy game.

This city, and France as a whole, are at the leading edge of an energy trend – one that the Paris climate pact will only intensify.