Oil, Decolonisation, and the Future of the Climate Emergency - Adam Hanieh

Aug 15, 2025

Adam Hanieh, a Professor of Political Economy at the University of Exeter, dives into the complex interplay between oil, decolonisation, and the climate crisis. He discusses how oil shaped national independence movements and the emergence of OPEC, revealing the deep-rooted connections between energy and global power dynamics. Hanieh challenges the narrative of a green transition, emphasizing the ongoing reliance on fossil fuels and the geopolitical tug-of-war surrounding oil resources, making a compelling case for understanding our current climate emergency.

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INSIGHT

Oil Is More Than Fuel

Oil is ubiquitous beyond transport, powering plastics, fertilizers, and countless synthetic products.
Adam Hanieh argues this invisibility of petrochemicals is central to addressing the climate emergency.

INSIGHT

Upstream Versus Downstream Power

The oil industry splits into upstream (extraction) and downstream (refining, shipping, products).
Hanieh stresses control of both halves determines who benefits from oil wealth.

INSIGHT

Oil Drove The Great Acceleration

The mid-20th century 'Great Acceleration' came from rapid global uptake of oil, not replacement of coal.
Hanieh shows energy additions increase total consumption and drive the climate emergency.

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Decolonisation movements sought to win sovereignty and control over national resources, especially oil. This lecture explores oil’s influence on national independence struggles, from the 1955 Bandung Conference to the rise of OPEC and the nationalisation of crude reserves. It examines how these shifts reshaped global power, exposing both the successes and limits of decolonisation, and their contemporary relevance to understanding the roots of today’s climate crisis.

This lecture was recorded by Adam Hanieh on the 15th of May 2025 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London

Adam Hanieh is Professor of Political Economy and Global Development at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter (UK).

He is also a Research Fellow at the Transnational Institute and held a Political Economy Fellowship from the Independent Social Research Foundation in 2023, which traced the new geographical linkages between the oil-producing states of the Middle East and China/East Asia. Hanieh is the author of four books, including Money, Markets, and Monarchies (Cambridge University Press, 2018), which won the 2019 British International Studies Association International Political Economy Group Book Prize. His most recent book Crude Capitalism: Oil, Corporate Power, and the Making of the World Market came out with Verso Books in 2024.

The transcript of the lecture is available from the Gresham College website: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/oil-decolonisation

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