Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) unique biodiversity and ExxonMobil’s good environmental and social practices were on show at the 39th International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) held in Brisbane, Australia, which aims to find better ways to ensure that impact assessable matters are considered in project and policy making.
Twenty-six people from ExxonMobil’s Environment, Biodiversity and Social teams attended the event including Biodiversity Advisor, Anita Mosby, who discussed how the PNG LNG Project developed a National Content policy, which enables capacity building of Papua New Guineans to manage environmental and social impacts from project activities.
“Good environmental practices stem from maintaining local technical capacity,” she said as part of her presentation.
“Many successes of the Project are due to our local workforce who understand the environmental, social and cultural sensitivities in the country.
“When you have Papua New Guineans taking ownership of the environmental practices you’re developing or implementing, it’s the environment that benefits.”
Anita was joined by seven fellow Papua New Guinean presenters who shared their expertise, knowledge and commitment to preserving PNG’s unique environment and biodiversity.
Winnie Schubert, Safety, Health and Environment Manager at ExxonMobil PNG, said the team acted as ambassadors not only for the PNG LNG Project, but the country as well, championing thought-provoking tactics for protecting PNG’s rich environment.
“A lot of people still don’t know about Papua New Guinea and its unique biodiversity. It was rewarding to see our team take their local knowledge and expertise and turn it into practical recommendations and learnings for practitioners around the world to apply to their own situations and countries.”
“We believe equipping our Papua New Guinean workforce with opportunities to learn, grow and connect with practitioners from around the world will play a key role in growing our 86 percent PNG citizen workforce.”
Kalyna Taule, Biodiversity Advisor at ExxonMobil PNG, said presenting at and attending the IAIA conference cemented her appreciation of EMPNG’s biodiversity program and the importance of managing the Project’s impact.
“We operate in a high biodiversity value environment and it’s my responsibility as a Papua New Guinean to protect it. I am driven to uphold EMPNG’s high standards in terms of Environmental compliance and internal commitment to Protect Tomorrow Today,” she said.
At the event, delegates were transported to PNG using virtual reality headsets where they were able to watch two videos showcasing Papua New Guinea’s unique environment and the work the PNG LNG Project is undertaking to preserve PNG’s biodiversity and cultural heritage.
ExxonMobil PNG proudly sponsored 10 delegates from partner organisations to attend the event as part of the IAIA Capacity Building Stipend program.