We are committed to high environmental standards today and in the future, in order to reduce negative impact on the environment.
It is not just greenhouse gas emissions that have an impact on the environment. We consume other natural resources in addition to energy, including water and construction materials, and the operations of our business units have the risk of potential product leaks.
Environmental issues are an integral part of our HSSE management system. Our policy on HSSE stipulates that we use energy and raw materials efficiently, avoid environmental pollution, and promote environmental awareness among our employees so as to minimize harmful influences. For many years now, we have been recording the frequency of product releases and their volume, the amount of energy and water used and the waste produced at our sites and have established corresponding KPIs that enable us to better identify and evaluate our development. Additionally, in order to evaluate our impact on climate change, we annually calculate the carbon dioxide (CO2) footprint for the entire group.
Spill preventionManagement of resourcesEnergy efficiencyClimate initiatives
Many of our companies are involved in storage and transportation of petroleum products. We are aware of the associated responsibility for people and nature. Therefore, we focus our efforts on preventing environmental damage and a purposive quick response to emergency situations. Modern facilities and efficient workflows, combined with preventive maintenance programs, serve to minimize the risk of spills.
To ensure professional support in the event of a major oil spill, MB Energy is a shareholder in Oil Spill Response Limited. Oil Spill Response Limited is the world’s largest oil spill response company. MB Energy is also an active member of the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF), a voluntary association of oil companies that works to ensure a safe and ecologically responsible operation of oil tankers and tank terminals.
In MB Energy's Ship Charter Policy, detailed minimum release requirements for chartered or accepted vessels (C-term purchases) and barges ensure that petroleum products are only transported by vessels that meet our strict standards. The primary objective is the safe transport of the products as well as strict compliance with the requirements for the international tanker sector. Among other things, this includes the requirements of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), who determines, among others, age limits or hull types. Moreover, the policy includes the assessment of the flag states. To enable a quick and up-to-date assessment of ships in accordance with this policy, we use a customized web-based information system.
All company-owned and chartered ships on international voyages are in compliance with the regulations of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code issued by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
In this context, we review the global consumption on an annual basis and are committed to an efficient utilization of all resources. We encourage our employees around the world to produce as little waste and wastewater as possible. Our basic principle of waste and wastewater management is based on the “4 Rs”: reduce, reuse, recycle and recover.
Water is one of the most valuable and vital resources on earth. Although two-thirds of the earth is covered with water, only about 0.3 percent of it is drinkable and also very unevenly distributed. On top of this there are climate changes and accompanying droughts as well as a growing global water shortage. Given this situation, it is understandable that there is already fierce competition for this highly sought-after resource in many places. Some of our sites are also located in regions that are affected by water shortages or water stress. It is thus all the more important that we contribute to the protection of natural water resources and use the water required for our operational processes efficiently and that we do not have a negative impact on water quality.
We record industrial waste (e.g. metals, packaging) as well as hazardous waste (e.g. product remnants, separator residues), which requires special treatment and must be disposed of separately. Most of the hazardous waste at our plants consists of residues from oil-water separators or oily materials such as cans. These are collected and processed by us or by licensed contractors. All of our service stations use oil-water separators or other wastewater treatment systems to process wastewater.
As an energy company, we see it as our responsibility to contribute to climate protection and to follow the path toward carbon reduced and cleaner energy and an efficient use of energy. This path presents challenges such as reducing our direct and indirect energy consumption, while at the same time offering opportunities and new business prospects for alternative and renewable energies.
The MB Energy group uses direct and indirect energy sources to operate its facilities, sites, service stations, vessels and vehicles. To deliver fuel, tank trucks of reputable contractors with energy efficient fleets are under contract.
Our enport by MB Energy tank terminals and MB Energy have been certified according to ISO 50001. ISO 50001 is an energy management standard enabling companies to systematically and continuously increase the energy efficiency of their business processes.
Climate change is currently regarded as the world’s most serious megatrend, as well as one of the greatest global risks. Extreme weather events such as prolonged high temperatures and droughts, severe storms and floods, and a rise in the sea level are just a few examples of already now noticeable consequences that can severely affect our business as well. In order to evaluate our own impact on climate change, our mother company Marquard & Bahls calculates the carbon footprint for the entire group. In accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol), we define our carbon footprint as the total amount of the six greenhouse gases listed in the Kyoto Protocol, measured in tons of CO2 equivalent (CO2e), caused directly or indirectly by our company.
We have introduced climate initiatives for customers who are willing to contribute to the protection of the environment through carbon capture.
