Trung Ghi
Trung is a Partner and Head of the Energy & Utilities with Arthur D. Little (ADL) in Asia Pacific. Prior to moving back to Asia, Trung spent 4 years in the Middle East
Trung has more than 20 years of experience in the oil and gas industry with half that time spent in consulting with a specific focus on advising the Asia Pacific / Australasian, Middle Eastern, and North American E&P clients (both Operators and OFSE) on Project Management challenges such as portfolio and planning, joint venture, and project definition. He has also advised clients on Energy Reform Strategy, Organizational Restructuring, Growth and Diversification Strategy, Technology and Digital Strategy, Hydrocarbon Maturation, and Operational Excellence.
Prior to joining ADL, Trung worked in Schlumberger Business Consulting, Independent Project Analysis, and as an engineer for wireline services with Halliburton.
Trung holds an MBA from Melbourne Business School. He also has a Mechanical and Space Engineering degree (Hons) at the University of Queensland.
Getting a grip on decarbonization with effective internal carbon pricing
Regulators and other stakeholders are increasing pressure on organizations to monitor, improve, and share information on their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. They want increased transparency around targets, timelines, and plans and are increasingly demanding actual results from decarbonization efforts.
The number of emission trading schemes (ETS) and carbon taxes is rising worldwide. In 2024, 75 carbon pricing initiatives were in place, covering 24% of global GHG emissions. Other countries are discussing implementing their own carbon pricing schemes.
Accelerating the financing of sustainable transport fuels
Transport was responsible for 14% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2023. While electrification is the most efficient way to decarbonize road transport, inland/nearshore shipping, and even short-haul flights, it does not cover every use case. That means different approaches will be needed for areas such as long-haul flights (2% of GHG emissions) and shipping (1% of GHG emissions).
Seabed mining: A $20 trillion opportunity
Seabed mining offers a unique US $20 trillion opportunity to extract critical minerals that are essential for batteries, electric vehicles (EVs), and other green technologies. This Viewpoint explores the economic potential and environmental impact of seabed mining as an alternative to traditional land-based mining, which faces challenges due to declining ore grades, stricter environmental regulations, and rising production costs.
“Big enough to survive and small enough to care — we can do it!”
Operating out of Singapore, Ocean Network Express, branded as “ONE,” was formed in April 2018 by merging the three competing container shipping business units of Japanese parent companies NYK, MOL, and K-Line. At the time, many commentators highlighted the challenges of such a large, complex integration. Yet just five and a half years later, ONE has become one of the most profitable and successful companies in the industry, with net income of approximately US $50 billion over the past five years.
Decarbonizing Southeast Asia: The green fuels race
Navigating the voluntary carbon credit market to support net zero targets
Of Forbes 2000 companies that have committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2030, a 2023 Net Zero Tracker study reports that 53% plan to use carbon credits, either to offset hard-to-eradicate emissions or to voluntarily advance their targets. However, the carbon offsetting market is still developing, and consumers, customers, and governments are scrutinizing the veracity of many claims. This Viewpoint provides guidance for companies that seek to incorporate carbon credits within their emissions strategies.
Closing the emissions gap through carbon capture, utilization & storage
Countries across the world have set ambitious decarbonization targets. However, despite some progress, the gap between aspirations and reality is growing. Greenhouse gas emissions are rising globally, with industrial emissions proving particularly difficult to reduce. Delivering effective industrial decarbonization therefore requires additional levers, specifically carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). This Viewpoint explains the opportunities CCUS provides for businesses and its potential to address climate targets.
Succeeding in SEA’s alternative fuel journey
The transportation sector is responsible for 20% of global emissions and faces increasingly stringent regulations and intense pressure to change. Adopting alternative fuels has the potential to drive decarbonization, especially in aircraft, ships, and heavy-duty vehicles. Thanks to their mature sustainability certification standards, the EU and US currently lead alternative fuel ecosystems. In this Viewpoint, we focus on how Southeast Asia (SEA) can replicate that success for the emerging class of alternative fuels.
Why the bio-based materials market is finally poised for growth
This is now changing rapidly, reinvigorating the market. Demand is growing, driven by increasingly environmentally conscious consumers and governments’ Net Zero targets requiring consumer-focused product companies to achieve sustainability. Finally, technology breakthroughs are bringing down production costs for bio-based materials, while improving their performance to make them comparable or superior to fossil-based counterparts.
The energy transition dilemma for national oil companies
The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent crisis in the oil and gas (O&G) industry have presented national oil companies (NOCs) and their governments with an apparent dilemma: (1) become early adopters of decarbonization initiatives, or (2) take a slower, “wait and see” approach until outside pressure forces them to commit to a decarbonization path. In fact, the solution can instead be a strategy that embraces sustainability as an element of the NOC’s core business, creating value for stakeholders.
The rise of the energy community & its lifeline to the battery
Increased consumer engagement combined with growing availability of affordable, small-scale distributed energy resources (DERs), along with legislative changes, present opportunities for local energy community (LEC) initiatives, in which consumers can actively participate in optimizing their energy bills. These initiatives can protect consumers from high and extremely volatile energy prices. Moreover, opportunities are emerging for traditional and nontraditional market players to enable and facilitate these new community models.
COVID-19 – FOCUSING ATTENTION ON THE NEXT TRANSFORMATION IN HEALTHCARE
Essentially the pandemic has shown the strengths and weaknesses of the global healthcare sector – and the opportunities that exist for improvement and transformation. While demonstrating what can be achieved through global collaboration, COVID-19 has also shone a harsh light on the disparities in healthcare access between developed and developing countries.
Trung has more than 20 years of experience in the oil and gas industry with half that time spent in consulting with a specific focus on advising the Asia Pacific / Australasian, Middle Eastern, and North American E&P clients (both Operators and OFSE) on Project Management challenges such as portfolio and planning, joint venture, and project definition. He has also advised clients on Energy Reform Strategy, Organizational Restructuring, Growth and Diversification Strategy, Technology and Digital Strategy, Hydrocarbon Maturation, and Operational Excellence.
Prior to joining ADL, Trung worked in Schlumberger Business Consulting, Independent Project Analysis, and as an engineer for wireline services with Halliburton.
Trung holds an MBA from Melbourne Business School. He also has a Mechanical and Space Engineering degree (Hons) at the University of Queensland.
Getting a grip on decarbonization with effective internal carbon pricing
Regulators and other stakeholders are increasing pressure on organizations to monitor, improve, and share information on their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. They want increased transparency around targets, timelines, and plans and are increasingly demanding actual results from decarbonization efforts.
The number of emission trading schemes (ETS) and carbon taxes is rising worldwide. In 2024, 75 carbon pricing initiatives were in place, covering 24% of global GHG emissions. Other countries are discussing implementing their own carbon pricing schemes.
Accelerating the financing of sustainable transport fuels
Transport was responsible for 14% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2023. While electrification is the most efficient way to decarbonize road transport, inland/nearshore shipping, and even short-haul flights, it does not cover every use case. That means different approaches will be needed for areas such as long-haul flights (2% of GHG emissions) and shipping (1% of GHG emissions).
Seabed mining: A $20 trillion opportunity
Seabed mining offers a unique US $20 trillion opportunity to extract critical minerals that are essential for batteries, electric vehicles (EVs), and other green technologies. This Viewpoint explores the economic potential and environmental impact of seabed mining as an alternative to traditional land-based mining, which faces challenges due to declining ore grades, stricter environmental regulations, and rising production costs.
“Big enough to survive and small enough to care — we can do it!”
Operating out of Singapore, Ocean Network Express, branded as “ONE,” was formed in April 2018 by merging the three competing container shipping business units of Japanese parent companies NYK, MOL, and K-Line. At the time, many commentators highlighted the challenges of such a large, complex integration. Yet just five and a half years later, ONE has become one of the most profitable and successful companies in the industry, with net income of approximately US $50 billion over the past five years.
Decarbonizing Southeast Asia: The green fuels race
Navigating the voluntary carbon credit market to support net zero targets
Of Forbes 2000 companies that have committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2030, a 2023 Net Zero Tracker study reports that 53% plan to use carbon credits, either to offset hard-to-eradicate emissions or to voluntarily advance their targets. However, the carbon offsetting market is still developing, and consumers, customers, and governments are scrutinizing the veracity of many claims. This Viewpoint provides guidance for companies that seek to incorporate carbon credits within their emissions strategies.
Closing the emissions gap through carbon capture, utilization & storage
Countries across the world have set ambitious decarbonization targets. However, despite some progress, the gap between aspirations and reality is growing. Greenhouse gas emissions are rising globally, with industrial emissions proving particularly difficult to reduce. Delivering effective industrial decarbonization therefore requires additional levers, specifically carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). This Viewpoint explains the opportunities CCUS provides for businesses and its potential to address climate targets.
Succeeding in SEA’s alternative fuel journey
The transportation sector is responsible for 20% of global emissions and faces increasingly stringent regulations and intense pressure to change. Adopting alternative fuels has the potential to drive decarbonization, especially in aircraft, ships, and heavy-duty vehicles. Thanks to their mature sustainability certification standards, the EU and US currently lead alternative fuel ecosystems. In this Viewpoint, we focus on how Southeast Asia (SEA) can replicate that success for the emerging class of alternative fuels.
Why the bio-based materials market is finally poised for growth
This is now changing rapidly, reinvigorating the market. Demand is growing, driven by increasingly environmentally conscious consumers and governments’ Net Zero targets requiring consumer-focused product companies to achieve sustainability. Finally, technology breakthroughs are bringing down production costs for bio-based materials, while improving their performance to make them comparable or superior to fossil-based counterparts.
The energy transition dilemma for national oil companies
The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent crisis in the oil and gas (O&G) industry have presented national oil companies (NOCs) and their governments with an apparent dilemma: (1) become early adopters of decarbonization initiatives, or (2) take a slower, “wait and see” approach until outside pressure forces them to commit to a decarbonization path. In fact, the solution can instead be a strategy that embraces sustainability as an element of the NOC’s core business, creating value for stakeholders.
The rise of the energy community & its lifeline to the battery
Increased consumer engagement combined with growing availability of affordable, small-scale distributed energy resources (DERs), along with legislative changes, present opportunities for local energy community (LEC) initiatives, in which consumers can actively participate in optimizing their energy bills. These initiatives can protect consumers from high and extremely volatile energy prices. Moreover, opportunities are emerging for traditional and nontraditional market players to enable and facilitate these new community models.
COVID-19 – FOCUSING ATTENTION ON THE NEXT TRANSFORMATION IN HEALTHCARE
Essentially the pandemic has shown the strengths and weaknesses of the global healthcare sector – and the opportunities that exist for improvement and transformation. While demonstrating what can be achieved through global collaboration, COVID-19 has also shone a harsh light on the disparities in healthcare access between developed and developing countries.