Managing our impact on the environment
Throughout the lifecycle of our projects and operations, we aim to manage environmental impacts and address any related impacts on local communities
At a group level, we annually review our management of material issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, water, and sensitive and protected areas. We seek to identify emerging risks and assess methods to reduce them across the company. For example, water scarcity is a potential risk for many of our operations, and we are working to develop tools and processes for our local businesses to use to address this issue.
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Our operating management system (OMS) is designed to drive continuous improvement in environmental and social performance as part of its role as our group-wide framework for a rigorous approach to safety, risk management and operational integrity. It integrates requirements on environment and social responsibility, as well as on health, safety and security, into a common management system.
Our OMS helps our operations around the world to assess and manage their environmental and social impacts. This includes conducting an annual OMS assessment to identify risks and impacts, and then putting in place action plans to manage them.
The principles and standards of OMS are supported by our environmental and social practices. These set out how our major projects identify and manage environmental and social impacts. They also apply to projects that involve new access, projects that could affect an international protected area and some BP acquisition negotiations.
In the early planning stages, these projects complete a screening process. Results are used to identify the most significant environmental and social impacts associated with the project, with a requirement to identify mitigation measures and implement these in project design, construction and operations. From April 2010 to the end of 2012, 88 projects had completed the screening process, and used outputs of the process to implement measures to reduce impact.
In the early planning stages, these projects complete a screening process. Results are used to identify the most significant environmental and social impacts associated with the project, with a requirement to identify mitigation measures and implement these in project design, construction and operations. From April 2010 to the end of 2012, 88 projects had completed the screening process, and used outputs of the process to implement measures to reduce impact.
Our projects can have a lifespan of several decades. Each year businesses conduct an OMS review of their environmental performance and set local improvement targets. These targets can include measures such as flaring reduction, pollution prevention, or reducing impact on biodiversity. Impacts on the environment vary from site to site, and according to the nature of each operation. We consider environmental sensitivities in determining which issues require the greatest focus for impact reduction.
Our operations are expected to work to continually reduce their impacts and risks. All our major operating sites, with the exception of recently-acquired operations, are required to be certified to the environmental management system standard ISO 14001, and publish an externally verified environmental statement. In 2012 our Gelsenkirchen refinery in Germany was not recertified due to conflicts in scheduling a verification audit. They completed a verification audit in late 2012 and were recertified in January 2013.
Our operations are expected to work to continually reduce their impacts and risks. All our major operating sites, with the exception of recently-acquired operations, are required to be certified to the environmental management system standard ISO 14001, and publish an externally verified environmental statement. In 2012 our Gelsenkirchen refinery in Germany was not recertified due to conflicts in scheduling a verification audit. They completed a verification audit in late 2012 and were recertified in January 2013.
Q: How does BP set targets for environmental performance?
A: Operations set environmental targets at a local level, based on an assessment of their most significant environmental aspects. Annual plans are developed to meet these targets, and the environment teams review progress annually with local management. For example, in my prior role as the environment director for Alaska, we set out to improve our solid waste handling, with the aim of reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill. In 2011 we set up an additional solid waste collection site which means that we are now consolidating waste from across the field, allowing for better handling of recyclables.
Karen Wuestenfeld
Environment Director, BP
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The information on this page forms part of the information reviewed and reported on by Ernst & Young as part of BP's 2012 sustainability reporting.
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