Energy security must be for all, Oman tells G20 forum

Oman urged G20 leaders to adopt energy and development policies that protect supply security, expand opportunities and preserve the rights of future generations. The appeal links energy decisions to fairness, human dignity and peace. Oman argued that reliable energy should not benefit some communities while others remain excluded or future people inherit the damage.

Dr Mohammed bin Said al Maamari said leaders should balance supply security, affordability and environmental protection. He also urged them to prioritise communities not yet reached by energy services. Moderation, less waste and lower environmental harm can help make abundance more sustainable.

Oman also called religious and community institutions essential partners in shaping and delivering transformation pathways. Religious and traditional leaders can build trust among communities and help fulfil commitments. The wider goal is energy security and sustainable development based on fair distribution, lasting benefits and responsibility across generations.

Energy security is the dependable supply of energy, available fairly and affordably while protecting people and the environment. Oman presented it as more than a technical or economic target. It also involves equity, sustainability, peace and respect for future generations. A secure system should provide lasting benefits rather than shifting costs onto excluded communities or tomorrow’s population.

Al Maamari said energy security in an interconnected world cannot be achieved for anyone unless it is achieved for all. Sharing resources therefore means sharing responsibility. Fair distribution, lower waste and priority for communities without energy services are key parts of that approach.

This view makes cooperation central. Countries and communities must build trust and fulfil commitments, while balancing reliable supply, affordability and environmental protection. Oman’s message to G20 leaders was that shared energy challenges require shared solutions, so prosperity and peace can grow together rather than leaving some people behind.

Oman says religious and community institutions should help shape and implement transformation pathways. Their role matters because energy and development policies affect human dignity, fairness, peace and the rights of future generations. These institutions can bring ethical judgment and local understanding to decisions that might otherwise be treated only as technical or economic questions.

The article also identifies religious and traditional leaders as trust-builders among communities. The Muscat Plan involved these leaders, representatives of indigenous peoples and others in a consultative process. It aims to strengthen their role in preventing conflict and combating hate speech.

Their contribution can connect policy with communities affected by energy choices. They can support dialogue, explain shared responsibilities and encourage fulfilment of commitments. Oman therefore presents them not as observers, but as partners in designing and carrying out development pathways that promote sustainable prosperity, cooperation and peace.

Five Omani aflaj irrigation systems are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Oman presented the aflaj as more than historic infrastructure. They represent a practical example of managing a shared resource responsibly, while recognising that access and benefits must not come at the expense of others.

In the article, the aflaj embody responsible resource management and respect for the rights of others. That example supports Oman’s wider argument that energy and development policies should distribute resources fairly, reduce harm and protect human dignity. Shared systems work best when users accept responsibilities alongside benefits.

The aflaj therefore connect Oman’s heritage with current policy thinking. Their example suggests that sustainability depends on stewardship, moderation and trust. As G20 leaders consider energy pathways, Oman used this local model to show how resource management can support cooperation and preserve rights across communities and generations.

When energy policy fails to balance reliable supply, affordability and environmental protection, its benefits and burdens can become unfair. People may be denied access, while environmental damage harms communities and future generations. Oman links responsible resource use to a moral duty: development must not harm others or deprive them of their rights.

The article identifies several risks. Communities not yet reached by energy services may remain excluded. Waste and environmental harm may increase. If commitments are not fulfilled, trust can weaken, making cooperation and peace harder to build. These effects show why energy choices are also questions of equity and human dignity.

Oman’s proposed response is practical and ethical. Leaders should distribute resources fairly, reduce waste, protect the environment and give priority to underserved communities. Religious and community institutions can help build understanding and trust. Balanced policies can turn resources into lasting prosperity rather than conflict or intergenerational harm.

Oman used the aflaj and waqf systems as examples of benefits that can last beyond one generation. The aflaj embody responsible resource management and respect for other people’s rights. Waqf, or endowments, have an impact that extends across generations. Both examples support the idea that resources should serve communities over time, not only meet immediate needs.

The aflaj illustrate shared management. Their value lies in organising resource use while recognising the rights of others. The waqf system represents an enduring form of benefit, linking present action with future beneficiaries. The article does not describe specific waqf projects, but it highlights their intergenerational reach.

These examples shape Oman’s wider energy message. Development should create lasting benefits, preserve human dignity and protect future generations. They show why stewardship, fairness and moderation matter when governments decide how resources are managed and how prosperity is shared.

In energy policy, stewardship means treating humanity as responsible for the Earth and its resources. It rejects the idea that resources exist only for immediate use. Decisions should protect human dignity, avoid environmental harm and preserve the rights of people who will live with their consequences.

Oman applied this principle to both present communities and future generations. Leaders should consider people affected by energy choices, including communities not yet reached by energy services. They should also reduce waste and environmental harm, distribute resources fairly and ensure that benefits last. The aim is moderation, not unchecked consumption.

This approach makes energy policy a moral as well as economic task. It asks governments to balance supply security, affordability and environmental protection. If they do so, shared resources can support prosperity and peace. If they ignore stewardship, today’s gains may become tomorrow’s inequality, damage or deprivation.