SUSTAINABILITY IN SPILL RESPONSE - AN INTRODUCTION

In 1987, the United Nations Brundtland Commission defined sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

The Sustainable Development Goals form the framework for improving the lives of populations around the world and mitigating the hazardous manmade effects of climate change. SDG 13: Climate Action, calls for integrating measures to prevent climate change within development frameworks. SDG 14: Life Below Water, and SDG 15: Life on Land, also call for more sustainable practices in using the earth’s natural resources.

Driven by these global goals all responsible businesses should work now and in the future by the most sustainable means possible. They should plan to improve their sustainable performance over time. This means that work should be planned and delivered as sustainably as possible and there should be continual improvement. Sustainability in spill response is one of our leadership themes for 2023.

This is important as we have only one planet and the resources it can provide are finite and wasteful use of them must be minimised. At the moment we are using more than it can sustainably replace. Equally we must avoid doing things that damage the planet and reduce the resources it has for the future.

Our planet has no voice but we are seeing the effect over use of its resources is having on the plant. Climate change is a direct result of increasing use of fossil fuels and other chemicals that pollute our atmosphere and reduce the clean air that the planet and its population need to thrive. Climate change is denying people of the basic resources; water and food, to live a normal and productive life. Where this may have been limited to areas around the Equator, this is now being frequently experienced in the Mediterranean countries.

UK Government has taken taking action by committing to reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) to zero by 2050. To restrict global warming to less than 1.5 degrees centigrade. This is not fast enough!

People need to take individual action to reduce the effect their lives have on the planet; simple changes to our lifestyle can cumulatively make a big difference. People are already thinking more about the planet they want to leave behind for their children.

Businesses have an important role to play as they are able to make significant changes to the way they work to deliver sustainable working and protect our planet’s resources. Indeed it is more than likely that innovative businesses will enable us to meet our GHG reduction targets alongside the major actions Government’s make. The sooner we get there the better for our planet.

It is in this spirit that members of UK and Ireland Spill Association agreed at their annual conference in November 2022 to commit to Sustainable Spill Response and they have agreed to run 4 webinars during 2023 to share their experience and knowledge of sustainable working with other members and to any who wish to attend them.

Members have agreed to share their experience in a TV programme called Sustainability in Spill Response that will air on Sky TV in March or April 2023. We will announce on the website and in mailings when this will be shown and a copy of it will be available though the website.

The four webinars are as follows:

WEBINAR 1 INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABILITY

25 Jan 23

May be viewed at: https://ukeirespill.org/sustainable-spillresponse-1st-webinar-now-available/

WEBINAR 2 TOOLS TO ASSIST IN PLANNING SUSTAINABILITY

26 Apr 23

May be booked at: https://ukeirespill. org/events/sustainability-in-spillresponse-webinar-2/

WEBINAR 3 SUPPLY CHAIN SUPPORT IN SUSTAINABILITY

May be booked at: https://ukeirespill. org/events/sustainability-in-spillresponse-webinar-3/

WEBINAR 4 STANDARDS IN SUSTAINABILITY TO ASPIRE TO AND NEXT STEPS

Mark J Orr, Executive Director - info@ukeirespill.org