Saudi Aramco: Departments awarded for their environmental excellence

The FINANCIAL — Five departments across Saudi Aramco received the 2014 President’s Award for Environmental Excellence.

The award was developed more than a decade ago to motivate company organizations to intensify their efforts towards environmental protection, according to Saudi Aramco.

The nominees for the 2014 awards involved more than 250 initiatives from more than 45 company departments.

Acting president and CEO Amin H. Nasser noted in his address at the awards ceremony that Saudi Aramco has a deep-rooted commitment to environmental stewardship that dates back more than 50 years.

“We’ve taken that approach in all that we do — from the design of our facilities and developing innovative technologies, to a stringent air and water quality monitoring system,” Nasser said, citing the company’s reduction in flaring to essentially zero by the 1980s as an example.

As a result of the strong foundation laid in the early years, the company is reducing its emissions, recycling more waste, conserving more water and protecting marine and terrestrial habitats, as well as ensuring food quality is in compliance with environmental health standards.

“You’re showing the world that it’s possible to provide energy to billions of people for their development and protect the precious natural environment. You’re showing the world that our industry can, and does, choose sustainability as a key business imperative. And you’re showing the world that our industry doesn’t have to be led by regulation,” he said. “It’s simply the right thing to do for our environment.”