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1-The overall aim of operators in managing the environmental impact
of their offshore oil and gas activities should be three-fold:
| > to meet
the requirements imposed by the regulatory system(s) under
which they operate |
| > to achieve control of all known environmental risks through
the application of due diligence |
| > to continuously improve their environmental performance. |
2-EMS should be part of an integrated overall management system.
3-Operators should aim to develop EMSs which can be accepted by
the competent regulatory agencies ("the regulators") as
being well designed, properly resourced and organised and effectively
implemented for the purpose of promoting good environmental performance.
The emphasis on regulation can move from prescriptive measures towards
setting the standards and leaving the choice of means to the operators.
4-Transparency is required for the establishment of the standards
which must be achieved, the levels of performance to which the operators
are committed and the evaluation of whether those standards and
performance levels have been achieved
5-The ISO 14000 series can offer a useful approach for an operator
in developing an acceptable Environmental Management System,
6-The Guidelines for the Development and Application of Health,
Safety and Environmental Management Systems, produced by the E &
P Forum in 1994, is a valuable guidance in further developing guidelines
in consultation with stakeholders.
7-The effectiveness of Environmental Management Systems will depend
crucially on establishing a clear set of links between policies,
objectives, targets and indicators, so that the translation of one
into the other can be followed and checked.
8-To reassure the public that the offshore oil and gas industry
is applying sound environmental practices, it is essential that
there is an evaluation of the implementation of Environmental Management
Systems, in particular, performance against targets. While companies
are reporting on their individual environmental performances, there
is a need to develop means for reporting on the collective impact
of companies in a region.
(conclusions Experts Meeting Noordwijk 1997)
This section is designed to provide a directory of documents on
Environmental Management Systems.
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