News
Publish date: August 20, 2012
Written by: Kristina Östman
News
Add you voice to the citizen lobby and sign the petition here in support of common minimum safety standards for the offshore oil and gas industry in Europe.
The regulation on safety of offshore oil and gas operations, proposed by the European Commission in October last year, is crucial to raise the safety standards in the inherently risky offshore oil and gas sector. It is needed to harmonise the fragmented regulatory frameworks across Europe, to reduce the risks of accidents occurring, and to ensure that companies have the capabilities to minimise their damages if they do.
The provisions in the proposal need to be strengthened, not watered down. A weakening of the proposal could have disastrous consequences in the case of an accident and it is crucial that EU leaders don’t fall for the industry pressure.
Offshore drilling operations are extending into even riskier waters, such as the Arctic and the deep sea, and it is vital that this is reflected in the regulation. The damage a potential oil spill could cause to the marine ecosystem, fisheries and coastal communities is bigger than it ever has been before.
The strong pressure put on the decision makers by the oil industry needs to be countered by a citizen lobby, putting the general interests first. This is why we are encouraging everyone to sign this petition on strengthening the proposal, calling on EU leaders to protect our coasts and stand up to the industry.
Recent attacks on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant "mark the beginning of a new and gravely dangerous front of the war," the UN atomic agency's director general said last week.
After years of inaction, Germany is working on its Carbon Management Strategy to resolve how CCS can play a role in climate action in industry. At the end of February, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action published first key points and a proposal to amend the law Kohlenstoffdioxid Speicherungsgesetz (KSpG). Bellona Deutschland, who was actively involved in the previous stakeholder dialogue submitted a statement in the association hearing.
In the midst of a global discussion on whether natural gas should be used as a transitional fuel and whether emissions from its extraction, production, transport and use are significantly less than those from other fossil fuels, Russia has developed ambitious plans to increase its own production of liquified natural gas (LNG) in the Arctic – a region with 75% of proven gas reserves in Russia – to raise its share in the international gas trade.
In this news digest, we monitor events that impact the environment in the Russian Arctic. Our main focus lies in identifying the factors that contribute to pollution risks and climate change.