ENVIRONMENT REPORT 2013
page 8
3.
Key Environmental Challenges
The focus and rationale for environmental management of offshore oil and gas operations has changed
significantly over the last few years, particularly with respect to the marine environment. The primary drivers
for change are:
•
Government objectives and policies
– the UK Government and the devolved administrations have
established a vision for the marine environment of “clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically
diverse oceans and seas”. This vision is being delivered through the Marine Acts and a range of measures,
including the establishment of a network of Marine Protected Areas and Marine Planning processes. These
measures introduce several concepts that are new to the industry, such as ‘the ecosystem approach’
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and
‘cumulative and in combination effects’
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, which may present a challenge during implementation.
•
The European Commission and Oslo and Paris Convention (OSPAR)
– the European Commission continues
to refine existing legislation and to introduce new requirements. There are a number of directives that
have the potential to change environmental management practices, for example, Environmental Impact
Assessment; Environmental Liability; Marine Strategy Framework; and Offshore Safety and Emissions
Trading. Similarly, OSPAR continues its focus on the reduction of discharges to the marine environment
and the management of decommissioning activities.
•
Stakeholder involvement
– many stakeholder groups have a keen interest in the environment and
its protection. These include conservation focused groups, the media and other users of the marine
environment. The common requirement for all stakeholders is that the industry is transparent and
provides information on its activities. The UK oil and gas industry has made significant improvements
in stakeholder engagement but there can be a tension where information must remain confidential for
commercial reasons. This report is an example of this trend towards greater transparency.
•
Resource limitations for waste disposal
– the onshore disposal of wastes, particularly mixed hazardous
wastes, could be a significant issue in the future as resources, such as landfill, become limited in capacity.
Although the industry applies the waste hierarchy (prevent, reuse, recycle, recover, dispose) there remain
some wastes that cannot be reused or recycled and must be treated and disposed of.
•
Major incidents
– the occurrence of a major incident requires the whole industry to respond by thoroughly
examining practices and procedures to reduce the potential for a similar event. In response to the major
oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010, the UK industry undertook a major review of drilling practices
and oil spill response strategies. Enhancements to existing arrangements were identified and these are
now being implemented. The challenge is to ensure that robust and sustainable practices and procedures
are maintained.
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The ‘ecosystem approach’ is a strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that
promotes conservation and sustainable use.
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‘Cumulative and in combination effects’ refer to the potential for multiple developments in the same area to have an
impact on the environment that might be greater than the sum of the effects of the individual developments.
