The need for environmental protection and management informs the theme of the 2017 World Environment Day as multi-national oil company, Chevron leads the charge in the call for reduction of environmental hazards and risks.
By Dirisu Yakubu
Today, June 5 is World Environment Day (WED), the biggest event to celebrate and promote environmental awareness and sustainability across the globe. Established by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 1972, WED aims to raise global awareness and mobilize people to take positive environmental action to protect nature and earth especially from human-induced hazards.
This global event is not only the principal vehicle through which the UN stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment, but it also gives a human perspective to environmental issues, empowers people to become active agents of sustainable development and advocates multi-stakeholder partnerships in support of environmental protection. From 1973, when the first WED was held, the event has always been marked with varying campaign themes and commentaries relating to environmental conservation and protection.
The theme for WED 2017, ‘Connecting People to Nature’, urges humanity to get outdoors and into nature, to appreciate its beauty and its importance, and to take forward the call to protect the planet earth to all and sundry. According to the UN, the 2017 WED invites people to think about how they are part of nature and how wholly they depend on it. The UN says in the last few decades ,scientific advances as well as growing environmental problems such as global warming are helping the world to understand the countless ways in which natural systems support people’s prosperity and well-being.
Good enough some corporate bodies have made environmental stewardship part of their social investments. Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) – operator of the joint venture between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and CNL (NNPC/CNL JV) – is one of such organizations. For 50 years now, CNL has remained an active agent of sustainable development and a strong advocate of partnerships for environmental protection.
Speaking recently on CNL’s passion for the environment, the Chairman/Managing Director, Jeff Ewing, said the company is glad to be part of the solution to global environmental issues wherever the company operates via its sound environmental management policy that supports environmental stewardship and sustainable development.
In his words, CNL has in place a company-wide health, environment and safety guidelines to ensure that its performance is world-class.
“In Nigeria, our operational excellence obliges us to deliver industry-leading performance in process safety, personal safety and health, environment, reliability and efficiency to achieve world-class performance. CNL has a record of responsible environmental stewardship everywhere it operates and has also established enduring partnerships with governments, non–governmental organizations, business organizations and communities. CNL has been supporting and sponsoring various programmes aimed at preserving the environment. These partnerships and efforts have been recognized and rewarded within and outside the country,” he remarked.
Environmental stewardship through nature conservation and education
CNL’s commitment to preserving the environment has left enduring landmarks in the landscape, including the Lekki Conservation Centre (LCC), Lagos – a centre of excellence in environmental research and education reserved as a sanctuary for the rich flora and fauna of the Lekki Peninsula. This 78-hectare facility, established by CNL in partnership with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) IN 1992 is one of its kinds in the Lagos area.
In 2005, CNL established a yearly postgraduate research scholarship for PhD students in Environmental and Conservation studies. Furthermore, CNL hosts the annual S. L. Edu Memorial Lecture to promote environmental management awareness while also working with the NCF on the possibility of establishing the Niger Delta Conservation Centre.
Environmental Stewardship
CNL’s environmental stewardship process lays the foundation for sound environmental management through inclusion of the environment in decision making from the identification, assessment and management of environmental risks at project inception, to operations and through decommissioning. It recognizes the importance of minimizing its environmental footprints and conserving biodiversity. The NNPC/CNL JV for instance, strives continually to achieve world class environmental excellence by assessing and reducing its environmental footprints and any potential impact from its operations on the environment.
CNL, while working with relevant environmental protection agencies, has also developed and is implementing internal processes to identify, assesses, mitigate and manage potentially significant risk and impacts to human health and the environment (including natural resources) associated with its existing operations and capital projects, including emissions, releases and wastes in a consistent and systematic manner. The company effectively engages its stakeholders and obtains alignment on its projects and proposals.
Gas flaring strategic management
Chevron has a strategic phase development for commercialization of produced gas throughout its operations. Some of its key projects to reduce gas flaring include: Escravos Gas Project, West African Gas Pipeline Project, Escravos Gas-to-Liquids Project, Sonam Field Development Project, Abiteye and Makaraba Non-Associated Gas (NAG) Development projects, amongst others.
From 2008 to 2016, the NNPC/CNL JV reduced routine gas flaring by over 90% through sustained investments, demonstrating its strong commitment to elimination of routine flaring and beneficial utilization of gas resources
Old Land Drill Sites
CNL took inventory of its old land drill sites that are not in use and embarked on priority restoration work to return the sites to their initial states thereby returning the restored sites to their original owners.
The Mangrove Restoration
CNL continues to develop and implement sound conservation practices through mangrove restoration, utilizing a combination of modern afforestation techniques, including natural recovery and direct planting of mangroves. CNL commenced the regeneration of the mangrove vegetation with a pilot scheme involving the planting of mangrove seedlings of different species at selected locations.
Recognitions/ Honours
The Federal Government in 1999, acknowledged these strides when the then Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) presented the company with its Environmental Achievement Award, the first of such awards in the industry. Also, in 2001, the Nigerian Environmental Society (NES) awarded CNL the Star Merit Award on Environment, in recognition of its contributions to the sustenance of the Nigerian ecology and its support for society’s activities. And in 2016, the company was bestowed with the “Green Label Award” by NES in recognition of CNL’s laudable projects on sustainable development of the environment, good environmental management and conservation practices.
In addition, the NCF honored the company with two awards – Sustained Support for Environmental Excellence and Conservation Leadership – in 2002 and 2010 respectively. In 2006, the Delta State Government honored Chevron with the Best Oil Company in Oil Spill Management Practices award, while the Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria gave it a Corporate Good Environment Health Practice Award for the company’s “commitment to responsible environmental stewardship” in Nigeria.
Esimaje Brikinn, CNL’s General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs say beyond the awards, CNL is ever willing to continue to collaborate with all stakeholders to safeguard the environment.
“We are continually working to improve our processes to reduce pollution and waste, conserve natural resources, and reduce potentially negative environmental impacts of our activities and operations,” he noted
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