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BP involved in over 1,250 environment projects worldwide
Shell stresses role of clean transport in economic growth
British Petroleum is participating in more than 1,250 projects dealing with sustainable transport and other fields related to environment protection, a senior BP official said.
The projects are located in different parts of the world and reflect BP’s strategy for ensuring clean environment and growing interest in support efforts by other countries and organizations protect the environment, said Ducan Eggar BP’s senior business adviser on sustainable mobility.
“It is not only to do with greenhouse emissions and global warming…we are also dealing with wider issues, such as urban planning, road safety, noise, congestion and social equity,” he told Pipeline at the Abu Dhabi Environment Exhibition. He said some of those projects are based in the Middle East, including Dubai, where BP is supplying the Traffic Police with technology to test car brake fluid at various filling stations in the emirate.
“We are doing this because it largely helps ensure road safety…you should know that nearly 18 per cent of the brake systems in cars in the UAE are potentially unsafe,” he said.
 “In Egypt, BP is cooperating with the government to enable taxi drivers in Cairo to change from running on petrol to compressed natural gas.”
BP’s strategy, he added, is that it strongly believes in making “an impact in environment protection and awareness...this can be through cooperation among all parties involved, including governments, auto manufacturers, fuels and lubricant producers, motorists, consumer groups, environment organisations and other relevant parties.”
Citing forecasts by the World Business Council, he said growth in global transport from 2000 to 2050 would increase about 75 percent in developed countries (OECD) from 17 trillion passenger km per year to 28 trillion passenger km while in non-OECD countries it will more than triple from 14 to 45 trillion.
“Mobility is essential to enable economies to develop and thrive, but along with these benefits, transport also brings a downside of emissions, congestion, safety hazards, and noise,” he said. “BP contends that the only way to achieve sustainable transportation in the developing world is for all stakeholders, including car manufacturers, energy companies, environmental groups, public authorities, academic experts, business organisations, and customer groups, to work together to introduce clean fuels and vehicles in an accessible and affordable way.”
In separate statements at the exhibition, a senior Shell executive said sustainable transportation is an essential factor in economic growth and higher standards of living.
“We won’t be able to maintain the economic development needed to raise living standards around the world without sustainable transportation for everybody,” said Adrian Loader, Director, Strategic Planning, Sustainable Development and External Affairs, Shell International.
He said the rapid growth in transportation in developing countries is welcome despite the challenges it entails as better transportation almost always leads to economic growth and higher living standards for billions of people.
He noted that by 2030, there could be as many cars and light trucks in developing countries as there are in North America and West Europe today.
“ …And they will be consuming some 18 million more barrels of oil a day….the other energy needs of developing economies are also growing rapidly and most will become more and more dependent on imported energy. Secure supplies of affordable energy will be critical for their future,” he told the conference.
He revealed plans by Shell to invest nearly US$ five to six billion to build the first world scale plant in Qatar to produce gas to liquids, adding Shell is working with vehicle manufacturers and other producers to develop markets for this fuel which can be used as a blend or on its own to reduce emissions from conventional engines.
An official from Total spoke about environment plans being carried out by his company, including a project to protect coral reefs between Qatar and the UAE, where a gas line is being constructed to transport natural gas from Qatar’s giant North Field to the emirates.
“We are involved in many projects dealing with environment protection, climatic changes, bio diversity and other fields,” said Jean-Michel Gires, Vice President of Sustainable Development and Environment, Total.
“One of the main projects involve the protection of the coral reefs in the waters between the UAE and Qatar…we are cooperating with Dolphin in this regard….it is part of our strategy to preserve the biodiversity in nature,” said Gires, whose company is a shareholder in Dolphin, a multi-billion-dollar project involving the transport of natural gas from Qatar to the UAE
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