The A.P. Moller - Maersk Group owns the largest container shipping company in the world and is a leading independent oil and gas operator.
Activities of this scale obviously impact the environment – on global, regional and local levels. The main environmental impact of extracting and producing energy, and transporting goods across waters, is the emission of greenhouse gasses and other pollutants that can affect people and the environment.
Other activities that can impact the environment include the consumption and discharge of water, the generating and handling of waste, and activities that can entail a risk of spills.
Today, climate change and the ability to develop reliable and clean energy supplies are at the forefront of public and scientific debate. The growing importance of these issues is clear to us, and in recent years, we have devoted considerable resources towards understanding and minimising the environmental impact of our activities.
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY
In 2008, our Executive Board approved an ambitious group-wide environmental strategy we call “Eco-Efficiency”. The strategy requires all our business units to pursue greater efficiency through innovation and technological advances – with the aim of using natural resources more efficiently and with less impact on the environment.
The Group environmental strategy is the over-riding "umbrella" defining the scope and framework within which all environmental strategic articulations, actions and organisational behavior would have to be framed.
In view of that, we constantly aim to improve resource productivity in respect to energy, water and materials. The strategy contains the aspiration to go beyond compliance in order to build competitive advantage through a systematic approach to identify potentials for more efficient use of resources, lower emissions and optimise cost. As the strategy is implemented across our business, we expect it to result in substantial benefits, including:
• greater ability to meet customer requirements
• improved resource productivity (energy, water and material)
• lower environmental costs and regulatory burdens
• improved collaboration with governments and regulators
• greater ability to attract and retain talent
• better management of environment-related risks
Strategic Climate Change Initiative
The decision to choose Eco-Efficiency as our environmental strategy is an outcome of the A.P. Moller - Maersk Strategic Climate Change Initiative. This initiative focused on developing strategic responses to the emerging environmental agenda, and was divided into three phases.
Phase 1: The objective of Phase 1 was to assess the most important environmental issues facing us today. To do so, we conducted a materiality assessment by (i) identifying the main activities and environmental impacts of each business unit, (ii) comparing the impacts with the main concerns of each business unit’s stakeholders, and (iii) prioritising the issues into “high”, “medium” and “low” levels of concern.
Phase 2: The objective of Phase 2 was to elaborate different scenarios that could help us develop long-term strategic responses. This work involved (i) identifying main drivers linked to environmental issues (e.g., energy supply and demand, fuel technologies, public policies and regulations, energy prices, carbon prices), (ii) identifying main sources of uncertainty, and (iii) developing different scenarios as combinations of drivers over the next 10–20 years.
Phase 3: The objective of Phase 3 was to develop a number of long-term strategies for dealing with the future scenarios we had identified. These strategies reflect different attitudes to both threats and opportunities linked to environmental concerns.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
We believe in sustainability and support initiatives that promote environmental responsibility. This can involve anything, from an individual employee’s idea for how to incorporate environmental awareness into day-to-day work, to high-level business decisions on ways to minimise our environmental footprint while remaining competitive. At Maersk, we want to incorporate environmental thinking into everything we do.
Complying with environmental legislation is important, of course, but our strategy calls on us to do more. We believe that individual contributions make a difference, and as the world’s largest container shipping company and a major player in oil and gas, we accept our special responsibility to promote sustainability.
Our ultimate aim is a balanced, sustainable and environmentally responsible approach to long-term economic growth and quality of life.
LEGISLATION
Tackling environmental threats and global climate change is something the world needs to do together. That is why we work with a number of organisations that deal with such matters, including the International Maritime Organization, the Danish Shipowners’ Association, Oil and Gas Producers, and the International Association of Drilling Contractors.
We believe that globally aligned, standards-based solutions are needed to really slow the rate of climate change, and we are firm believers in international agreements. That is why we are involved in legislative work in the field – especially in areas where we have unique knowledge and insight to share.
It’s an approach that is directly linked to our environmental strategy – which encourages a proactive approach to legislation. Instead of waiting for new laws, regulations and standards, we want to be ahead of the game. And this applies to both our transport activities and our energy business – where we aim to meet or exceed all applicable legislative or regulatory requirements. Where there are no requirements, we believe in applying responsible standards.
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
As a specialised agency of the United Nations, the IMO has worked for 71 years to develop regulations for shipping, one of the most international industries in the world. Under the slogan “Safe, secure and efficient shipping on clean oceans”, the organisation addresses a vital need for acceptable regulations in an industry where vessel ownership and management often involve multiple countries and jurisdictions.
Traditionally, the IMO has worked to ensure a level playing field for shipping worldwide. We support the work of the IMO, contributing to the political process with input on proposals and new regulations.
One example is the current work to come up with a mandatory CO2 design index for new ships, where Denmark has served as a key driver behind the initiative.
Other regulations
Our oil and gas activities have to comply with local legislation in the jurisdictions where they are carried out. For example, CO2 emissions produced by Maersk Oil North Sea UK are regulated by the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme. Other emissions are covered by the Offshore Combustion Installation Regulations 2001, the UK Government’s response to the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive. To support the goals of this legislation, Maersk Oil has developed programmes to improve energy efficiency at offshore installations.
Other Maersk Oil UK activities that can impact the environment or involve water and chemicals are subject to OSPAR recommendations, established in Europe to protect the marine environment of the Northeast Atlantic.