Businesses in oil, gas sector undergo training on SDGs

Over 300 participants selected from various businesses in oil and gas have attended a comprehensive workshop on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

It was aimed at empowering workers in various divisions of indigenous Ghanaian oil and gas companies to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices into their operations.

The initiative is part of a business academy partnership initiative between Tullow Ghana Ltd and the Petroleum Commission, which will run for two years, where workers of the selected companies will receive continuous training on the foundational principles of the SDGs, as well as the effective integration and implementation of SDG strategies into business operations.

The first training, a two-day virtual workshop, was conducted under the Tullow Supplier SDG Readiness Programme.

Building capacity

Speaking on the initiative, the Deputy Managing Director, Tullow Ghana, Cynthia Lumor, said the initiative was to ensure that there was optimum building of capacity in the oil and gas sector to ensure efficiency, sustainability and progress.

“The programme is intended to empower and enable companies and workers in the oil and gas sector to make their business operations environmentally friendly while improving the living standards of labour and communities.

“This will also help promote diversity, inclusion, and transparency in the workplace which are critical to ensuring the long-term sustainability of our industry, the Deputy Managing Director stated.

Ms Lumor further said helping the agencies and individuals in the supply chains would also benefit their operations as they were critical to the company’s operations.

“Our supply chains are the backbone of our operations, and ensuring that they are sustainable, ethical, and resilient is key to driving positive change in the upstream industry in Ghana.

“Achieving these goals is not only a matter of corporate responsibility but a crucial part of securing our long-term operational success,” Tullow’s Deputy Managing Director emphasised.

Sustainability

The Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Petroleum Commission, Prince Benjamin Aboagye, pledged the regulator’s commitment to empowering and assisting suppliers and companies to become sustainability-oriented.

 “This workshop begins an intensive training programme that includes a one-on-one tailored advisory service over 10 months. During this period, best practices on essential activities such as carbon capture and supply chain management will be unpacked, along with measurable SDG strategies, policies and targets.

“The Commission stands ready to support and guide indigenous Ghanaian companies through the process as we race against time to achieve the SDGs by 2030,” the Petroleum Commission’s Deputy CEO stated.

Mr Aboagye expressed appreciation to Tullow Ghana and Invest in Africa for leading the way and assisting companies in the sector to build critical competencies to integrate SDGs in their operations.

The Country Director, Invest In Africa, Carol Annang, called for continuous staff training, establishing a dedicated department to champion sustainability, and adopting management systems to aid the implementation of SDG efforts across all levels of business.

“We are pleased to be at the forefront of driving knowledge transfer and capacity building to equip key players in the sector to be fit for purpose as the world shifts rapidly towards sustainability.

“We aim to help suppliers and businesses in the oil and gas sector to become practical in implementing policies, programmes, and activities to augment the achievement of the SDGs,” Ms Annang said.