Investments for the future
For years ExxonMobil (XOM) has come under fire for sticking to oil and natural gas production instead of alternative, green energy sources to meet the world’s growing demand and despite what the critics of the 135 year-old Texas giant are saying, Exxon has been making strategic bets with its $1 billion annual R&D portfolio.

From energy-saving technologies like reducing greenhouse gasses associated with manufacturing to developing low-emission biofuels from algae, the giant has been focusing on how to scale these solutions effectively using their vast resources while aligning with companies like FuelCell Energy to compete.

Carbon Capture and Storage
According to many professionals, reducing emissions is simply not enough, we must rewind the clock and extract the elements out of the atmosphere to make a meaningful impact. Exxon has been investing heavily in CCS – a process by which CO2, that otherwise would be emitted into the atmosphere, is captured, compressed and injected underground for permanent storage. CCS is used by large-scale industrial facilities such as refineries and chemical plants to reduce green house gas emissions but recently has also been suggested as a method to scrub the air as well.

Paris Accord Alignment
Thanks to America’s oldest and largest publicly traded company, the country is "well positioned to compete" under the terms of the Paris deal which Biden has signaled he will rejoin. Established in late 2015 with the goal of slowing global warming, Exxon’s carbon reductions in recent years are actually in compliance with the Paris agreement making them well positioned to lead in this endeavor.

The intersection of opportunity
Oil may run out, liquidity may dry up, but as long as ink flows freely, the next chapter around energy will continue to be written so don’t count Exxon out quite yet.