Strategic decision making to achieve a path to net zero
Ashley Corso A , Ellen Coopersmith A and Kris Cejka B *A Decision Frameworks, Houston, TX, USA.
B Decision Frameworks, Perth, WA, Australia.
The APPEA Journal 62(2) S12-S16 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ21132
Accepted: 4 March 2022 Published: 13 May 2022
© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of APPEA.
Abstract
With continued changes to global policy and implementation of greenhouse gas emissions reductions, organisations are increasingly creating goals for net zero emissions. Not knowing where carbon policy is heading and what incentives and penalties will be makes it difficult to make decisions on projects while trying to achieve a path to net zero. Many avenues are currently being investigated from carbon capture and storage (CCS) to operational equipment replacement and leak reduction. There are no standard business models, and this presents significant challenges which need to be understood. Though new, they are not novel, as the industry knows how to face challenges which include evolving policies and tax implications. This paper showcases how energy companies can structure, evaluate and communicate CCS decision making using the Decision Quality process. The fundamentals of Decision Quality are applied to describe a case study which focuses on the challenge for organisations with greenhouse gas emissions, considering which facilities to prioritise, which technologies to cost-effectively capture, how to transport and ultimately how to reuse or store the emissions. The Decision Quality – Scenario Thinking process will be instrumental in understanding the uncertain scenarios in the global carbon arena. We will define the solution space of viable alternative strategies and provide unique insight into the impact of the key risks and uncertainties on the alternatives in play – answering the question, under what terms and conditions might each alternative be viable? Using structured decision techniques, insights into CCS strategies and what it will take to achieve will be gained.
Keywords: CCS, CCUS, CO2 carbon capture and storage, Decision Analysis, Decision Quality, greenhouse gas, Scenario Planning, Scenario Thinking, strategic planning, strategy, strategy table, structured decision, uncertainty.
Ashley Corso is a Lead Consultant at Decision Frameworks. She joined the team in 2019. She instructs courses on Decision Quality and develops new course materials. Utilising Decision Frameworks’ Scenario Thinking approach to decision framing, Ashley is adept at supporting projects ranging from technology commercialisation, pharmaceutical drug development, subsidiary divestiture, exploration, appraisal, and development strategy for onshore and offshore assets. She holds a BS in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Houston and is an active member of the Society of Decision Professionals and the Society of Petroleum Engineers. When not working, Ashley enjoys spending time with her family and rooting for her favorite baseball team, the Houston Astros. |
Ellen Coopersmith is the founder of Decision Frameworks and has been with the company since the very beginning in 1999. She specialises in Decision Analysis consultation, facilitation, training and implementation. Her passion for decision and risk analysis focuses on skill development, framing, uncertainty analysis and valuing information. Prior to founding Decision Frameworks, she led one of the oil industry’s most successful implementations of Decision Analysis for Conoco. She holds a degree from the Colorado School of Mines. Ellen is an accomplished technical and managerial facilitator, as well as a published and invited speaker on both the implementation and the technical elements of Decision Analysis. She was the 2017–2018 President of the Society of Decision Professionals (SDP), a published speaker on Decision Analysis, a Professional Engineer and SDP Fellow. |
Kris Cejka received his BS in Geology & Geophysics from the University of Wisconsin and MBA from the University of San Francisco. Kris is a subject matter expert in Decision Quality with expertise in coaching teams and facilitating and evaluating complex decisions. He has extensive experience in decision analysis, strategic planning, commercial negotiations, litigation strategy, as well as corporate strategy, portfolio management, acquisition and divestiture. Kris is currently a Senior Consultant at Decision Frameworks in Perth. He previously worked for Chevron USA as a Senior Global Decision Analyst and worked to develop projects in the USA, China, Vietnam, Brazil and others. Kris transitioned with Chevron to Australia and was responsible for developing decisions for portfolio, high-value investments, new ventures and commercial opportunities, and led the decision and economic function for the Asia Pacific region. Kris is a Fellow of the Society of Decision Professionals and President of the Australasia Chapter. |
