The question for oil executives is whether you’re in the oil business or the energy business.

[It is] what I consider, basically, an old, outdated, uneconomic, and highly dangerous technology.

Rising demand for energy, food and raw materials by 2.5 billion Chinese and Indians is already having ripple effects worldwide.

Already, China’s world-leading solar industry provides water heating for 35 million buildings, and India’s pioneering use of rainwater harvesting brings clean water to tens of thousands of homes.

My bet is that China is indisputably number one in renewable energy within five years. They now have key state sponsored support and one advantage of a centralized economy is that these massive projects can...