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NGC's approach to Sustainability
Integrating Sustainability into NGC's business
At NGC, we believe that a sustainable organisation requires a sustainable business model. As such, we have continued to evolve by positioning ourselves as a strategic player at the centre of Trinidad and Tobago’s natural gas industry with a strong social responsibility ethos.
A key aspect of our business model is sustainability, which we define as the way social, environmental, and economic concerns are integrated into our vision, core values, culture, decision-making and strategy. This is guided by our strategic pillars and at a global level, our efforts are aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals. Nationally, our efforts contribute to the development priorities defined in Vision 2030, Trinidad and Tobago’s National Development Strategy.
Our Vision: To be a recognised global leader in the development of sustainable energy-related businesses.
Our Mission: To create exceptional value from natural gas and related energy businesses through our people and strategic partnerships.
Our Core Values:
• Safety and Environmental Preservation
• Integrity
• Employee Engagement
• Excellence
• Transparency
• Customer Focus
• Corporate Social Responsibility
Our Strategic Pillars: Four pillars that are centred around sustainability guide our actions:
In order to have a positive impact on some of the most significant challenges facing our country and our planet, we have chosen to focus our efforts on the issues that are most relevant to our business and stakeholders. In addition, some time ago we took the strategic decision to engage in partnerships that build capacity in NGOs and community groups by providing them with the skills and tools to sustain themselves. This decision signaled a shift away from a culture of grants and donations.
One way we do this is through volunteering. Our Employee Volunteerism Programme enables our people to contribute their time, knowledge and skills to the support of social and environmental issues. In this way, employees become involved in our mission to create value for our stakeholders across Trinidad and Tobago.
Over the long term, NGC has partnered with the Ministry of Community Development Culture and the Arts for the implementation of the National Policy on Sustainable Community Development in our fence-line communities, starting with La Brea. This policy, aligned with SDG 11Sustainable Cities and Communities, represents a significant step towards a robust approach to community economic development and achievement of Trinidad and Tobago’s national development goals.
NGC's Covid Response
The year 2020 has presented extraordinary challenges for NGC. However, our continued focus on creating a sustainable business placed NGC in a position to adapt and respond to the needs of our stakeholders for the benefit of society. In addition to the critical role NGC has played in ensuring the supply of natural gas for electricity generation has been maintained, our efforts have focused on the health and social impacts of Covid-19 (SDG 3 – Good Health and Wellbeing and SDG 4 – Quality Education) respectively.
b u SINESS CONTIN u IT y
As early as January, we activated our existing Business Continuity Plan and began to share critical information on
Covid-19 across our operations. Our response protocols were immediately escalated upon confirmation of Trinidad and Tobago’s first case of Covid-19 and the Incident Management Team was mobilised to manage the implementation of the Business Continuity Plan.
On March 18th, we initiated a work-from-home policy for non-essential staff. This significant step benefitted from the deployment Windows 10 Always On VPN beginning in 2019, allowing for a smooth transition for staff that were already using company laptops. An alternative technology solution was implemented for staff that were not traditionally mobile, allowing them to work securely on their personal computers at home. We continue to make the necessary adjustments to our workflows and processes as the situation evolves - all aimed at keeping employees, contractors and other stakeholders safe, while maintaining operational efficiency.
Meeting Stakeholder needs
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic we have been acutely aware of the needs of national stakeholders and our fence-line communities, particularly those most vulnerable to the disease. At a national level, we provided financial and in-kind support to a number of homes for the elderly as well as donating masks and personal protective equipment in response to a national initiative by the Foundation for the Enhancement and Enrichment of Lives (FEEL). To boost national awareness, we ran a series of safety awareness campaigns on national TV and radio stations.
We have also provided support to immunocompromised patients, such as those with HIV and Cancer, as well as a halfway house for abused infants. In addition, we provided hampers of food and household items to vulnerable groups in the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation, La Brea, Guayaguayare and Tobago. Finally, at the time of writing, NGC was in advanced stages of procuring tablets to support distance-learning for students in its local community, an initiative which aligns with SDG 4 – Quality Education.
Supporting Medical Innovation
Faced with the threat of urgent local and regional shortages of critical medical equipment, NGC entered into a partnership with the University of the West Indies St Augustine (UWI) to provide funding for the development of a prototype ventilator and the essential testing of the equipment. This partnership supports local innovation and the creation of entrepreneurial opportunities in response to national needs.
NGC remains committed to being an innovator and leader in the field of sustainability, creating shared value for the company and all of our stakeholders. The challenges of 2020 have only strengthened our resolve and provided a stress-test of our ability to respond. We are confident that together, we can overcome whatever challenges our company and our country may face.
