Last month, Royal Dutch Shell (The Hague, the Netherlands; www.shell.com) released a report1 that assesses the company’s alignment with 19 industry associations on climate-related policy. In the report, Shell CEO Ben van Beurden states “The need for urgent action in response to climate change has become ever more obvious since the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015. As a result, society’s expectations in this area have changed, and Shell’s views have also evolved.”
The report outlines four key policy positions that were evaluated: support of the Paris Agreement goals on climate change; government-led carbon pricing mechanisms; low-carbon technology policy; and the role of natural gas for energy. Of the 19 industry associations evaluated, Shell found that it was aligned with nine of them, had some misalignment with another nine, and had “material misalignment” with one, the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM). Due to this misalignment with climate-related policy positions, Shell stated that it will not renew its AFPM membership next year.
Sustainable investing
As Van Beurden stated, expectations around sustainability issues, including climate change policy, have changed, and they are strong. Asset management firm BlackRock (www.blackrock.com) has seen a “surge in clients’ interest in incorporating sustainability-related insights into their investments.” Factors including environmental, social and governance (ESG) are now commonly tracked and evaluated for investments. BlackRock says that sustainable portfolios can be created without compromising financial goals, and in fact, suggests that ESG-friendly portfolios could be more resilient in downturns.
A report by Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing and Bloomberg2 that includes results from a survey of 300 respondents at U.S. asset-management firms, says that sustainable investing has indeed gone mainstream and is no longer a niche market. It further suggests that sustainability is a good investment: “Asset managers surveyed overwhelmingly agree that strong corporate ESG practices can potentially lead to higher company profitability and that companies with such practices may be better long-term investments.”
Sustainability as a core value
A look at the websites of major chemical process industries (CPI) companies reveals that most, if not all, have a sustainability-related statement. For example, BASF SE (www.basf.com) says “Sustainability is at the core of what we do, a driver for growth as well as an element of our risk management.” And SABIC’s (www.sabic.com) website states “SABIC recognizes that in order to succeed in today’s global marketplace, sustainability must be embedded in the way we do business.”
The need to incorporate sustainable practices in industry is clearly understood, but this changing landscape presents challenges that need to be tackled on various fronts. For more insight on some of these challenges for petroleum refiners, see the Newsfront in this issue, “U.S. Refiners Reckon with Uncertain Energy Future” (pp. 14–17). ■
November 9-11, 2026Irving Convention Center | Dallas, TX
Explore this topic and more — live at Clean Americas. Join environmental, health, safety, and emergency response professionals tackling the industry's most urgent hazards. View Conference Program →
When a major incident strikes, the people stepping into Incident Command aren't always the ones who trained for it. Engineers, operators, trades supervisors, and compliance specialists may suddenly find themselves filling Command and General Staff roles — not because they volunteered, but because the situation demands it. Panelists will share practical strategies for leading without positional authority, tools and frameworks that help personnel rapidly orient to ICS roles, and approaches for closing the gap between day-to-day job functions and emergency command readiness before the next incident makes it urgent.
Speaking
Scott Andrews (Trans Mountain Canada Inc., Manager Emergency Management)
Kelly Codlin , MSPH, CIH (Marathon Petroleum Company, Emergency Preparedness Director)
Nick Hickson (Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), Hazmat Training Manager)
Josh Dubach MSc, CEM (Onterris, Senior Response Management Consultant)
This session will examine produced water as the largest waste stream in the oil and gas industry and one of its most pressing emerging challenges. It will address the growing volumes of produced water, the increasing regulatory and public scrutiny of constituents such as PFAS, salts, and Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM), and the operational implications for management, treatment, reuse, and disposal. The discussion will also explore how operators, regulators, and communities are redefining approaches to produced water management in response to environmental, technical, and stakeholder pressures.
Speaking
Steve Pepper, Ph.D., (Onterris, Director of Response Management)
Charles Maguire (Railroad Commission of Texas, Advisor, Oil and Gas Division)
Prof. Shane Walker Ph.D. (Texas Produced Water Consortium, Director)
Ray Cheatham (Onterris, Energy Sector Leader)
This session will present a detailed case study of a large-scale lithium-ion battery fire response that extended over 12 months. Attendees will explore the hazards associated with thermal runaway events, the operational challenges of suppressing lithium battery fires, and the response strategies that proved effective in this prolonged incident. The
Drawing on insights from U.S. EPA Region 9 wildfire response efforts, the session will also highlight tactics such as hazard characterization, air monitoring and evaluation, and household hazardous waste collection and disposal. Participants will leave with a stronger understanding of the complexities involved in large-scale battery fire incidents and the critical factors to consider when planning and executing an effective response.
Speaking
Robert W. May PG (Clean Harbors, Senior Vice President, Branch Services and Sales)
Crosley Welch (Missouri Department of Natural Resources, State On-Scene Coordinator)
Samuel Cheek , CSP, RRPT (U.S. EPA, Region 6, Federal On-Scene Coordinator)
Christopher Myers (U.S. EPA, Region 9, Federal On-Scene Coordinator)
This session introduces use of remote sensing technologies to detect, characterize and monitor spills across marine and coastal environments. Discussion will highlight how tools can integrate into modern spill response workflows to improve safety and support data-driven decision making.
Speaking
James Hanzalik (Clean Gulf Associates, Vice-President)
Gordon Staples (MDA Space Ltd., Senior Radar Applications Scientist)
Grant Coolbaugh (Applied Research Associates / Ohmsett, Mechanical Engineer)
Speaking
Allyson Purcell MEP, CEM (ConocoPhillips, CMER Director)
Michael Delio (Maxum Petroleum, EHS & SECURITY MGR)
This session provides a practical, ground‑level introduction to the essential steps required after a battery undergoes a thermal event. We’ll break down how to assess site conditions, stabilize and prepare damaged cells or packs, select appropriate containment and packaging methods, and navigate the regulatory landscape that governs transport and disposal. The lecture emphasizes real‑world decision‑making, safety considerations, and compliance requirements, giving participants a clear framework they can apply immediately in field operations or emergency response planning.
Speaking
Mark Steadman (The Battery Network, Program Manager)
Environment, Health, Safety & Security
Taking a stand on sustainability
| By Dorothy Lozowski
Last month, Royal Dutch Shell (The Hague, the Netherlands; www.shell.com) released a report1 that assesses the company’s alignment with 19 industry associations on climate-related policy. In the report, Shell CEO Ben van Beurden states “The need for urgent action in response to climate change has become ever more obvious since the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015. As a result, society’s expectations in this area have changed, and Shell’s views have also evolved.”
The report outlines four key policy positions that were evaluated: support of the Paris Agreement goals on climate change; government-led carbon pricing mechanisms; low-carbon technology policy; and the role of natural gas for energy. Of the 19 industry associations evaluated, Shell found that it was aligned with nine of them, had some misalignment with another nine, and had “material misalignment” with one, the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM). Due to this misalignment with climate-related policy positions, Shell stated that it will not renew its AFPM membership next year.
Sustainable investing
As Van Beurden stated, expectations around sustainability issues, including climate change policy, have changed, and they are strong. Asset management firm BlackRock (www.blackrock.com) has seen a “surge in clients’ interest in incorporating sustainability-related insights into their investments.” Factors including environmental, social and governance (ESG) are now commonly tracked and evaluated for investments. BlackRock says that sustainable portfolios can be created without compromising financial goals, and in fact, suggests that ESG-friendly portfolios could be more resilient in downturns.
A report by Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing and Bloomberg2 that includes results from a survey of 300 respondents at U.S. asset-management firms, says that sustainable investing has indeed gone mainstream and is no longer a niche market. It further suggests that sustainability is a good investment: “Asset managers surveyed overwhelmingly agree that strong corporate ESG practices can potentially lead to higher company profitability and that companies with such practices may be better long-term investments.”
Sustainability as a core value
A look at the websites of major chemical process industries (CPI) companies reveals that most, if not all, have a sustainability-related statement. For example, BASF SE (www.basf.com) says “Sustainability is at the core of what we do, a driver for growth as well as an element of our risk management.” And SABIC’s (www.sabic.com) website states “SABIC recognizes that in order to succeed in today’s global marketplace, sustainability must be embedded in the way we do business.”
The need to incorporate sustainable practices in industry is clearly understood, but this changing landscape presents challenges that need to be tackled on various fronts. For more insight on some of these challenges for petroleum refiners, see the Newsfront in this issue, “U.S. Refiners Reckon with Uncertain Energy Future” (pp. 14–17). ■
Dorothy Lozowski, Editorial Director
Dorothy Lozowski, Editorial Director
Featured Conference
When a major incident strikes, the people stepping into Incident Command aren't always the ones who trained for it. Engineers, operators, trades supervisors, and compliance specialists may suddenly find themselves filling Command and General Staff roles — not because they volunteered, but because the situation demands it. Panelists will share practical strategies for leading without positional authority, tools and frameworks that help personnel rapidly orient to ICS roles, and approaches for closing the gap between day-to-day job functions and emergency command readiness before the next incident makes it urgent.
This session will examine produced water as the largest waste stream in the oil and gas industry and one of its most pressing emerging challenges. It will address the growing volumes of produced water, the increasing regulatory and public scrutiny of constituents such as PFAS, salts, and Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM), and the operational implications for management, treatment, reuse, and disposal. The discussion will also explore how operators, regulators, and communities are redefining approaches to produced water management in response to environmental, technical, and stakeholder pressures.
This session will present a detailed case study of a large-scale lithium-ion battery fire response that extended over 12 months. Attendees will explore the hazards associated with thermal runaway events, the operational challenges of suppressing lithium battery fires, and the response strategies that proved effective in this prolonged incident. The
Drawing on insights from U.S. EPA Region 9 wildfire response efforts, the session will also highlight tactics such as hazard characterization, air monitoring and evaluation, and household hazardous waste collection and disposal. Participants will leave with a stronger understanding of the complexities involved in large-scale battery fire incidents and the critical factors to consider when planning and executing an effective response.
This session introduces use of remote sensing technologies to detect, characterize and monitor spills across marine and coastal environments. Discussion will highlight how tools can integrate into modern spill response workflows to improve safety and support data-driven decision making.
This session provides a practical, ground‑level introduction to the essential steps required after a battery undergoes a thermal event. We’ll break down how to assess site conditions, stabilize and prepare damaged cells or packs, select appropriate containment and packaging methods, and navigate the regulatory landscape that governs transport and disposal. The lecture emphasizes real‑world decision‑making, safety considerations, and compliance requirements, giving participants a clear framework they can apply immediately in field operations or emergency response planning.