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Oil & Gas industry reaffirms commitment to global ocean conservation efforts

(Malta, October 5th, 2017) The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) renewed its commitment to global ocean conservation efforts at the ‘Our Ocean’ high-level conference organized by the European Commission in Malta. The Association began by opening up its Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) to the scientific and business communities and then reaffirmed its members’ funding of the UN Environment-led Proteus marine biodiversity data collection project.

“Our industry has operated offshore for over a century. By giving free access to our data collection and processing model to environmental agencies, the offshore wind industry, port and harbour authorities and others, we are providing those working in the marine environment with the best tools available for overall ocean management” said Gordon Ballard, Executive Director of IOGP.

“In a 2°C scenario, oil & gas will still make up for around 40% of energy used in Europe in 2040 (1). Producing it in Europe means securing jobs and government revenues for decades, but also operating according to some of the highest environmental standards in the world” added Mr. Ballard.

The more information maritime industries have, the better decisions they can make. The oil & gas industry’s contribution to UN Environment’s Proteus biodiversity project is specifically aimed at strengthening the World Data Base on Protected Areas, the most comprehensive global database of marine and terrestrial protected areas.

“Our members have been contributing financially to the Proteus project for nearly fifteen years, and continue to do so, despite a challenging economic situation for our sector. This is one of these projects where everyone wins: the environment, scientists, ocean conservation agencies, and business.” said Mr Ballard.

The upstream oil & gas sector perpetually works to minimize the impact of its operations on the ocean. Partnerships with scientific bodies and R&D institutes help further improve scientific knowledge of the seabed and marine environment, while access to reliable information reduces environmental as well as financial risk.

(1) IEA, World Energy Outlook 2016

Contact
Nareg Terzian, Media and EU Affairs Manager
T: +32 2 566 91 48 M: +32 470 90 59 62
E: ntz@iogp.org

About IOGP
The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) is the voice of the global upstream industry. Oil and gas continue to provide a significant proportion of the world’s energy to meet growing demands for heat, light and transport.

Our Members produce 40% of the world’s oil and gas. They operate in all producing regions: The Americas, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, the Caspian, Asia and Australia.

We serve industry regulators as a global partner for improving safety, environmental and social performance. We also act as a uniquely upstream forum in which our members identify and share knowledge and good practices to achieve improvements in health, safety, the environment, security and social responsibility.

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