environmental risk management

Protecting the environment takes commitment, effective processes, leading technologies and dedicated people. Our Operational Excellence Management System (OEMS) recognizes the potential impact of many factors on the environment. This recognition is operationalized through our Environment Focus Area Strategy and Environment Risk Management Process (ERMP).

environment focus area

Chevron’s Environment strategy underscores our commitment to protect the environment. By embedding this into enterprise business planning, we aim to enhance environmental performance across the globe.

The strategy promotes systematic consideration of business risks and environmental performance alongside external stakeholder expectations. It shapes enterprise wide processes and procedures to influence environmental metrics, workforce training, technology investments and external partnerships in areas such as:

preventing and mitigating the consequences of accidental releases

reducing air emissions, including GHGs

conserving and protecting water and biodiversity

managing waste and wastewater

conserving energy

retiring idle assets and reclaiming sites with residual environmental impacts

environment risk management process

In 2021 we also deployed ERMP, a framework to identify, assess, mitigate and manage environmental risks, including those involving community health and social risks, across the lifecycle of an asset. The process is designed to be fit-for-purpose so that it can be applied to activities with a broad range of complexity, including large projects and ongoing operations. This process seeks to go above and beyond local regulatory requirements, to strengthen our safeguards and apply lessons learned across Chevron.

digital solutions

Future environmental solutions rely on a strong foundation of standardized workflows, data automation, analytics and process integration. First deployed in 2020 at the Richmond Refinery, our Integrated Waste Solution (IWS) creates a digital interface between the personnel managing operations that generate waste and the environmental personnel responsible for waste handling and management. The solution automates and standardizes waste requests, approvals, tracking and payment, which saves time and puts in place safeguards. Through the development of IWS and related technologies, we seek to streamline our reporting, reduce waste management storage time and align with our Third-Party Waste Stewardship standard designed to mitigate waste disposal risks.

innovation

Innovation plays a key role in supporting our efforts to assure effectiveness of safeguards and mitigate environmental risks.

external research

Chevron targets innovation and transformational technology development through participation in external interdisciplinary, multi-institution research programs designed to improve environmental performance. As a member of Rice University’s Carbon Hub, a zero-emissions research initiative, we are exploring responsible use of methane-derived carbon sequestered in soil. Within NEWT, a nanosystems-engineering research center also headquartered at Rice University, we are exploring efficient modular water treatment systems to facilitate access to clean water.

hottpad

Another innovation is Hottpad, a cost-efficient remediation technology that has a lower carbon intensity than traditional thermal methods. First used at the Chevron Batangas terminal in the Philippines, Hottpad has been piloted within the San Joaquin Valley business unit in California, with a full-scale deployment underway for Wafra Joint Operations in the Partitioned Zone between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

growing workforce capability

We continue to build environmental fluency and competency within our broad workforce and strengthen coordination between our technical center and businesses. To promote data quality and consistency, our environmental experts offer biannual training on reporting data for air and energy and for waste and water. In 2022, we trained environmental risk assessors and launched a digital tool to evaluate risks across the enterprise. This information is used to inform long-term vision and business planning for the Environment strategy.

addressing plastic waste

To reduce waste and develop circularity opportunities, we seek to learn from industry peers and sustainability leaders. Circularity opportunities include recycling, reusing or repurposing post-use plastic. We’re working to leverage partnerships to share best practices, drive innovation and develop industry standards.

Chevron Phillips Chemical Company

Chevron Phillips Chemical Company (CPChem), a 50-50 joint venture between Chevron and Phillips 66, is a founding member of Cyclyx International, a consortiumbased feedstock management company with a mission to help increase the recycling rates of post-use plastic from 10% to 90%. In 2022, Cyclyx launched 10 to 90 Challenge, a consumer engagement effort to divert plastics from landfills and into the Cyclyx supply chain. Cyclyx also signed an agreement to advance development of a plastic waste sorting and processing facility in Houston, Texas. The facility aims to connect community recycling programs to new recycling technologies that have the potential to accept a wider variety of plastics.

Ipieca Circular Economy Taskforce

In 2022, Chevron joined the Ipieca Circular Economy Taskforce, which aims to improve understanding of circularity in oil, gas and alternative energy industries. We also joined the U.S.-based National Lubricant Container Recycling Coalition, an industry-led technical coalition focused on developing a national market-sustaining program to drive the recovery and recycling of plastic packaging used to transport lubricants and related products for commercial and consumer use.