By Sunday Elom N.
In commemoration of the global day on Environment, American multinational oil company operating in Nigeria, Chevron Nigeria Limited has pledged its total commitment to ecosystem restoration in the country.
This, it said is part of it’s Corporate Social Responsibility contributions to save the degrading planet earth.
Minister of Environment
The Chairman/Managing Director of the oil corporation, Rick Kennedy while disclosing this in a Press statement reaffirmed that the operator of the joint venture with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), “NNPC/CNL JV,” conducts its business in a socially and environmentally sustainable manner and complies with applicable regulatory requirements, stakeholder expectation, best industry practices, and has made Environmental Stewardship part of its social investment programmes.
World Environment Day is an annual event established by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 1972 and celebrated on June 5 to promote environmental awareness and sustainability across the globe. The programme aims at raising global awareness and mobilization of humans to take positive environmental action to protect nature and planet Earth.
Chevron Chairman/MD, Rick Kennedy
The 2021 World Environment Day celebrated on Saturday 5 June, 2021, centered on the launch of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (UND-ER), which formed this year’s theme: “Ecosystem Restoration”.
According to UNGA, United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is targeted at assisting the world in the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed, as well as conserving the ecosystems that are still intact to ensure healthier ecosystems, with richer biodiversity that will yield greater benefits such as more fertile soils, bigger yields of timber and fish, and larger greenhouse gas sinks.
Kennedy noted in the statement that wherever CNL operates, it is always proud to be part of the solution to the global environmental issues through its sound environmental management policy and practices that supports environmental stewardship and sustainable development.
The Director stated that CNL has in place a company-wide Operational Excellence Management System (OEMS) that delivers industry-leading performance in process safety, personal safety and health, environment, reliability, and efficiency.
According to him, “CNL’s OEMS process lays the foundation for sound environmental management. The identification, assessment and management of environmental risks run through the entire project cycle from inception to operations and through decommissioning.”
Quoting Wendell Erdman Berry who said that “To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival,” Kennedy explained that CNL recognizes the importance of minimizing its environmental footprints towards ensuring ecosystem restoration; adding that the company continually aims to achieve world class environmental excellence by assessing, eliminating, and mitigating potential risks and thereby effectively managing the footprints from its operations on the environment.
“CNL is committed to environmental sustainability, including ecosystem restoration interventions where required as recently shown in a mangrove restoration project in one of CNL’s operated fields.
“CNL continues to conduct relevant environmental assessments and audits of its operations to ensure environmental risks are identified and where necessary mitigated and managed in accordance with statutory requirements, environmental performance standards and industry best practices. The company continues to invest in best available technology for tracking and managing its ecological footprint in its areas of operation,” he stated.
According to the CNL head, the company’s “Commitment to preserving the environment has left enduring landmarks in the landscape.” He explained that in 1992, the Company, in partnership with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NC