Most headlines worldwide include news about global warming, armed conflicts, collapsing health and education systems, and resource scarcity, among others. This is because enormous challenges have arisen over the last century as a result of social, economic, and environmental developments, and we must begin to address them.
In response to these issues, on September 25, 2021, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. A document in which the 17 Sustainable Development Goals were established, which aim to mobilize global efforts to end poverty, promote peace, safeguard human rights and protect the planet.
This initiative has the participation of 193 nations, which will address some of the most urgent global priorities. Many oil and gas industry players are also committed to more responsible and sustainable business in order to help achieve these goals. But how can the industry contribute to achieving the SDGs?
As a first step, it is important to identify which goals the industry has the greatest impact on, in order to drive sustainable innovation in its operations and throughout the supply chain. Below are some goals where it is recognized that the oil and gas sector can make a transformative contribution, either by improving its positive contributions or mitigating negative impacts.
Goals 7 and 13: Affordable and reliable energy / Climate action
Between 2000 and 2016, the number of people with access to electric power increased from 78% to 87%, and the number of people without power fell to just under one billion. It is clear that the increase in global population goes hand in hand with the increase in energy demand, and in a global economy as dependent on fossil fuels as ours, this has brought negative climate consequences.
While we cannot wipe the hydrocarbon industry off the map, we must change the way we produce them, reducing their environmental impact and maintaining efficiency, as well as implement education and training policies to raise workers’ awareness of energy efficiency and the industry’s impact on the environment.
Goal 13: Climate action
Natural gas is an optimal fuel for managing the energy transition to a more secure and sustainable supply. The hydrocarbon industry must invest in technologies that have lower carbon emissions, but with a high level of productivity. Both technological innovation and good practices in emissions management are industry contributions to achieving the targets of Goal 13.
Goal 8: Decent work
While the global economy continues to recover, we are witnessing slower growth, rising inequality, and a deficit of jobs to absorb the growing demand for labor. The oil sector needs to create sustainable employment and occupation conditions that respect legally established labor conditions, in addition to positively influencing the policies and practices of its suppliers, promoting labor standards and non-discrimination.
Goals 6 and 12: Sustainable Production and Clean Waters
To achieve economic growth and sustainable development, the hydrocarbon sector must introduce practices that sustainably and efficiently manage and use energy and natural resources. Substantially reducing waste through reduction, recycling, and reuse policies are some of the effective methods that have been implemented.
Focusing a little more on the Clean Water objective, the sector is a major consumer and producer of water in all its oil production and refining processes. It is necessary to balance demand with local needs, especially in places where water is scarce, and to implement water management and treatment processes to reduce the environmental footprint.
Goal 5: Gender equity
Research shows that women are grossly underrepresented in most oil and gas industries. The U.S. Department of Labor defines it as a male-dominated sector in which women make up less than a quarter of the total workforce. Companies must begin to develop policies and programs to encourage and promote women’s participation and leadership, as the sector has the potential to offer women opportunities to improve their quality of life as well as greater opportunities for employment and personal and professional development.
At the same time, equal opportunities must be provided with diversity and inclusion policies aimed at integrating other groups, such as young people or vulnerable groups, as a value that, in addition to creating a more representative workforce, contributes to building a more successful and profitable company.
After analyzing the objectives involving the oil and gas industry, we can conclude that the sector is an important part of achieving sustainability goals. In order to make a substantial impact, it will be necessary for companies to start implementing actions in the short, medium, and long term that involve scaling up good practices in climate action, environmental responsibility, and social inclusion. Therefore, I believe it is necessary to get down to work and start developing policies that favor decent work without inequalities, as well as taking advantage of new technologies to increase energy efficiency with less environmental impact.
At Nakasawa Resources, in order to transform the oil and gas industry with enhanced oil recovery processes, we are committed to contributing to more sustainable and cost-effective practices through innovative upstream technology solutions. Through our new Super Matroid technologies, we aim to optimize recovery through lower impact, making projects more efficient in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.
Owner of several companies in the energy and mining sector, and inventor of the design and engineering of the Super Matroid Heater and Ultra Filtration Systems for the oil and gas industries.
