Environment policy elaborated

June 5, 2003, 09:00 CEST

The Statoil goal of causing zero harm to nature has now been defined in a new environment policy being published today, 5 June, which is World Environment Day.

Providing an amplification of the way Statoil will deal with environmental issues, the policy statement includes the first clear definition by any company of the zero-harm concept.

This specifies that the group’s operations will influence – but not harm – the environment.

“We aim to preserve biological diversity,” explains Eli Aamot, vice president for the environment at Statoil.

“Our discharges and emissions will also be below the environment’s carrying capacity, and the acreage occupied by our operations will be restricted.”

The corporate executive committee will review the environment policy once a year from now on, and also wants to contribute to the discussion of future issues.

Statoil’s business calls for a balance to be struck between environmental, safety, working environment and financial considerations.

“The environment policy provides guidelines on how we should pursue our operations, and carries us a stage forward,” says Ms Aamot.

“But it’s the results that count, and these are created out in the business areas.”

New technology and professional procedures provide instruments for achieving the zero-discharge goal, and the policy calls for solutions tailored to each project.

A mature Norwegian continental shelf with old technology calls for different approaches from new developments nationally and internationally.

“The answer is tailormade solutions,” emphasises Ms Aamot. “Outside Norway, we must also adapt to local cultures to find the best answers overall.

“These will be found in an interaction between technology, people and culture.”

Statoil has made considerable progress in the environmental arena, and can cite many good examples of being among the front runners in coming up with appropriate solutions.

The group faces constant challenges in fulfilling its ambitions, and will play its part in helping to meet the world’s growing energy needs in an environment-friendly way.