Drafting an ESG Policy for an Upstream Oil and Gas Client

The client, an upstream oil and gas company, was seeking an environment, health, and safety (EHS) consultant and partner to create an environment, social, and governance (ESG) policy in response to increasing stakeholder and customer expectations for more company-specific sustainability commitments. ESG is a relatively new idea in the industry and many smaller players in local upstream oil and gas are struggling with incorporating ESG messaging into their branding due to their operations. The client is an example of a company that had no idea how to approach the ESG journey and was looking for guidance on how to begin. 

As a first step, Antea Group suggested creating a simple ESG policy and statement that the client could utilize as a basis for their emerging ESG program. We proposed a simple scope to achieve this, starting with a kickoff call to discuss the process and gather additional information on the client’s list of sustainability topics as well as short- and long-term intentions for this policy and associated ESG programs.

Antea Group next suggested consolidating a representative sampling of policies and related corporate commitments/statements from peer companies within the industry and from leading companies within the petroleum sustainability space. Antea Group evaluated common themes (e.g., key statements, structure, and focus) and opportunities to help the client to customize their policy to align with stakeholder needs and industry themes.  

Utilizing the insights gained from the first steps as described above and with the help of Antea Group’s internal subject matter experts in the oil and gas industry, we developed a draft report. The report went through three report version iterations. When drafting and reviewing the report, we included a member of the client’s communications team to ensure that the policy matched their brand voice and aligned with their overarching messaging and branding strategies.