Environmental Considerations are now shaping our industry. While a few decades ago the concerns were mainly local and we were often justifying our impact, presently much more pro-active policies are the norm-while the issues have expanded to global dimensions and sustainable development has become our goal.
In these decades the strategy has changed from end-of-pipe solutions effected by specialists towards adaptations of processes and products and grasping the opportunities by integrating environmental aspects in the business processes through leadership open by top management.
Consultation with a wide range of stakeholders is also becoming an integral part of business management, helping us to respond better to the concerns in society and enhancing the understanding of our contributions to sustainable development. It is in the dialogue with these external stakeholders where certification and verification according to international standards such as IS0 14000 and EMAS will help to maintain and improve the credibility of industry efforts. The introduction of these systems provide not only momentum, but also a challenge and an opportunity.
Integrated in the business processes (health, safety and) environmental management systems are becoming the tool to minimise environmental risk, to take account of stakeholder concerns and to grasp the opportunities and thus to provide assurance of due diligence.
Based on the experience of Shell's world-wide and wide-ranging activities, the speaker will analyse the trends and present his views on future developments for industry as such and in particular the oil industry.
I N T R O D U CTI O N Although some recognition was apparent before World War II that massive environmental pollution was not acceptable, environmentalism in the Western World did not really start to emerge before the 1960s. Concern was generated by the careless dumping of industrial and household wastes. In those days it was common practice that these wastes were put in holes in the ground or in quarries or dumped in rivers and ponds without any precautionary measures. A more serious concern grew during the 1950s about the abundant use of non degradable detergents and the indiscriminate use of pesticides which already in those years led to clearly visible environmental damage. These latter practices formed the basis for the book ‘Silent Spring’ published in 1962 by Rachel Carsson. This book created a sudden shock in the U.S.A. and other parts of the world and resulted in a strong increase in awareness amongst the public that the environment was put at undue risk and this may threaten their future. In many countries this book was the beginning of the environmental movement and action groups.
PAST Large scale industrial pollution has a history of more than a century, b
