By Ejiro Nesisa
Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), a multinational company in Nigeria has said, it is committed to Environmental protection in its operations.
In a statement by Olusoga Oduselu, CNL’s General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs and made available to newsmen in Warri, Delta State, says, Jim Swartz, CNL’s Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) affirmed that this year’s theme is consistent with the organization’s. According to him, since June 5th , 1973 has been fixed as World Environment Day(WED) and it is being celebrated annually.
According Chevron boss, the day is dedicated to raising awareness and promoting actions to address various environmental issues, including marine pollution, overpopulation, global warming, sustainable development, and wildlife crime, among others. He said, this year’s theme is: “Beat Plastic Pollution” as it stressed the urgent to tackle plastic pollution which is a significant environmental challenge of the time.
According to him, Plastic pollution refers to the accumulation of plastic items and particles, such as plastic bottles, bags, and microplastics, in the environment, particularly in oceans, rivers, and landfills as the widespread use of single-use plastics, inadequate waste management systems, and the persistent nature of plastic materials contribute to this global issue.
Jim Swartz said the organization is very much in support of this global initiative as it aligns itself by protecting the environment just as it provides affordable, reliable, and ever-cleaner energy that enables human progress. He further explained that this year’s theme is consistent with the company’s values and environmental principles, which are anchored on considering the environment in decision-making, minimizing the environmental footprint, operating responsibly, and stewarding its sites.
According to statement, Jim said, the organization’s commitment to environmental stewardship is reflected in the responsible design, development, operation, and retirement of assets as it strives to implement business practices that support effective waste management activities and reduce the potential environmental, health, and safety impacts associated with plastic waste just as he promised that the company would continue to assess and implement the reduction of single-use plastic water bottles by providing water dispensers.
He said, the company has also invested in waste management equipment to shred, crush, and compact waste for recycling and re-use by third-party service providers adding that, these actions have prevented their used plastics from leaking into the immediate natural environment.
According to the statement, Jim said, CNL’s Operational Excellence Management System delivers industry-leading performance in process safety, personal safety and health, environment, reliability, and efficiency. His words:” Our focus on the environment during decision-making lays the foundation for sound environmental management. The company protects the environment through the entire lifecycle from responsible design, development, operations, and asset retirement”.
CNL’s CMD said the organization is advancing its lower carbon strategy by focusing on lowering the carbon intensity of its operations and by implementing methane detection and reduction capabilities adding that, the organization utilizes high-tech Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) cameras for detecting fugitive emissions, and in the past 10 years, CNL has reduced routine gas flaring by over 97% in its operations.
According to the statement, for the avoidance of doubt, In 1992, Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), in partnership with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), established the Lekki Conservation Centre adding that, the 78-hectare facility serves as a centre of excellence in environmental research and education, providing a sanctuary for the rich flora and fauna of the Lekki Peninsula.In 2005 as CNL began supporting an annual postgraduate research scholarship for PhD students in environment and conservation, instituted by the NCF.
He said the organization also hosts the annual S.L. Edu Memorial Lecture to promote environmental management awareness and partners with the Lagos State Government and NCF to sponsor the annual Walk for Nature event which is aimed at creating awareness for nature conservation and sustainable environmental management.
The statement emphasized the importance of protecting and conserving biodiversity saying, the organization has 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 the organization operates.
The statement said,for the avoidance of doubt, for over 60 years, the company has remained an active agent of sustainable development and a strong advocate of partnerships in support of the environment adding that, as the world focuses on beating plastic pollution, Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) would continue to partner with stakeholders to raise public awareness and create the transformative environmental change needed to advance towards a more sustainable world as this commitment aims to beat plastic pollution for ourselves and future generations.