Oil & gas: Better operating practices

In addition to working with oil and gas companies to alter their policy on protected areas, WWF is also working to improve their operating practices and corporate responsibility.

We are seeking:

• Internationally accepted environmental principles for oil and gas exploitation (including decommissioning activities) that affect the marine environment.
  
  
• Full strategic environmental and social assessments being carried out before any development takes place, including initial prospecting and exploration, with no further action if the assessments suggest that subsequent activity is likely to damage environmental or human well-being in specific areas.
  
  
• Establishment of an international framework to ensure multinational companies do not apply different standards of practice in different parts of the world.
  
  
• Better regulations and controls to keep operational discharges (e.g., oil, drilling fluid, gas emissions) to a minimum.
  
  
• Pre-planned decommissioning of facilities and restoration of developed areas to their natural state.

A recent win was a voluntary accord in New Zealand for the use of Environmental Impact Assessments for petroleum exploitation.