By Eyo Nsima
Every year on June 5, the world commemorates World Environment Day (WED) to celebrate and promote environmental awareness and sustainability across the globe. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and held annually since 1974, each edition focuses on raising awareness and mobilizing the world to take positive action to protect nature and our planet.
The theme for this year is “Only One Earth” with a focus on “Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature.” It beams a spotlight on climate action, nature action and pollution action while encouraging everyone, everywhere to live sustainably. Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), operator of the joint venture between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and CNL (“NNPC/CNL JV”), identifies with this global action to save the planet as it aligns with our commitment to protecting the environment while providing affordable, reliable, and ever-cleaner energy.
CNL, not only conducts its business in a socially and environmentally sustainable manner, but also in compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, stakeholder expectations and best industry practices, and has made environmental stewardship part of its social investment programmes.
Rick Kennedy, CNL Chairman and Managing Director, explains that CNL’s approach to sustainability is highlighted by its commitment to protecting the environment, empowering its people, and always getting results the right way. “Chevron is proud to be part of the solution to global environmental issues wherever we operate. Our environmental and energy transition efforts focus on lowering the carbon intensity of our operations, building lower carbon businesses, supporting well-designed climate policy, responsible water management, and biodiversity, while using our Operational Excellence Management System (“OEMS)” to manage risks.”
According to him, the company’s OEMS delivers industry-leading performance in process safety, personal safety and health, environment, reliability, and efficiency. “Our Environmental philosophy and processes lay the foundation for sound environmental management. The company protects the environment through the entire lifecycle from responsible design, development, operations, and asset retirement,” he stated.
CNL recognizes the importance of minimizing its environmental footprints and promoting ecosystem restoration. The company continually aims to achieve world-class environmental excellence through the implementation of its Environment Risk Assessment and Management (“ERAM”) procedure to identify, assess, mitigate, and manage environmental risks, environmentally-related community health risks, and environmentally related social risks. CNL is committed to ecosystem sustainability, including ecosystem restoration interventions where required.
The restoration programmes provide positive environmental impacts and opportunities for raising the awareness of the community members about the impacts of degradation and the benefits of restoration.
CNL is advancing its lower carbon strategy focusing on lowering the carbon intensity in its operations and taking proactive approaches to manage its methane detection and reduction capabilities. CNL utilizes high-tech Optical Gas Imaging (“OGI”) cameras for detecting minute fugitive emissions. CNL has reduced routine gas flaring by over 95% in its operations in the past 10 years.
Chevron recognizes the importance of protecting and conserving a region’s biodiversity, and we have a long history of working in collaboration with communities, industry groups, regulators, and conservation groups to identify and protect biodiversity in parts of the world where we operate. CNL, in partnership with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) established in 1992, the Lekki Conservation Centre (LCC). This 78-hectare facility, a center of excellence in environmental research and education, is reserved as a sanctuary for the rich flora and fauna of the Lekki Peninsula.
In 2005, CNL began supporting a yearly postgraduate research scholarship for Ph.D. students in environment and conservation, instituted by the NCF. Additionally, the company hosts the annual S.L. Edu Memorial Lecture to promote environmental management awareness and partners with the Lagos State Government and NCF to sponsor an annual environmental awareness programme, tagged, Walk for Nature, an event held to create awareness and promote nature conservation and sustainable environmental management.
Esimaje Brikinn, CNL’s General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs notes that for over 60 years, CNL has remained an active agent of sustainable development and a strong advocate of partnerships in support of the environment. “We will continue to partner with stakeholders in raising public awareness to create the transformative environmental change we need to advance to a more sustainable future of our Only One Earth,” he said.
