Environment

Minimizing environmental impacts by way of water and soil pollution prevention, reduction of emissions, efficient use of energy and natural resources, and avoiding biodiversity disruption is an integral part of the OMV HSSE Policy.

The principles and rules for environmental management are set out in the OMV Group’s HSSE Directive and the OMV Group Environmental Management Standard. The HSSE Directive defines the “environment” as “a natural and human surrounding in which an organization operates, including air, water, land, natural resources, flora, fauna, humans, and their interrelationships.”

In striving to minimize the impact of our operations, we particularly emphasize issues of material importance to both OMV and our stakeholders. Environment, in particular spills management, is a material topic for OMV (see Material Topics). All aspects of importance related to our environmental impact are managed through a single management approach, governed by general and topic-specific Group regulations, and reported to management accordingly.

The OMV Group Environmental Management Standard stipulates an assessment of environmental impacts and risks, and adherence to environmental performance requirements in terms of energy use, emissions into the atmosphere, water use and discharge, the use of raw materials, waste management, hazardous substance handling, and biodiversity and ecosystem protection.

Odor Management Added to Environmental Management Standard

In 2020, OMV’s Environmental Management Standard was revised and minimum requirements on odor emissions were established. Whenever odor and odor nuisance have or could have a relevant impact on the environment and the health of people, or might cause public concern, prevention or mitigation measures will be established, preferably by application of best available techniques (i.e., during design). An Odor Management Plan and Odor Complaint Management complement these if needed. Odor is a subjective matter, and its assessment is complex and often difficult to quantify. Although there are many guidelines and standards dealing with odors around the world, there are only a few specific regulations for odor. For example, in 2020, Romania passed a law to establish the regulatory frame for odor management. Methodological norms of application will be developed going forward. In this context, OMV Petrom, in partnership with the Oil and Gas Employers’ Federation of Romania, initiated a project to identify international best practice in controlling and managing odor. The results will be provided to authorities in order to establish application norms for the odor law.

SDG targets: 3.9 By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination; 12.4. By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their lifecycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment

Before undertaking new operational activities or entering new countries, we perform environmental risk assessments, including evaluations of local legislation, the potential impact of our activities on sensitive and protected areas, and the effects on endangered species. Each subsequent phase of project implementation is accompanied by a detailed assessment of environmental risks.

Environmental risks and opportunities include regulatory, operational, reputational, and financial drivers and specifically relate to issues such as climate change, availability and quality of water used for operations, and the impact of energy, climate, and water policies. The management of environment-related risks is part of OMV’s Enterprise-Wide Risk Management (EWRM) activities as described in the Risk and Opportunities section.

Digital technologies are used in monitoring and managing environmental risks through a special risk management IT tool – the Active Risk Management System (ARMS). This tool allows us to better integrate environmental risk scenarios with other HSSE and business risks. Identified and assessed risks are controlled and mitigated at all organizational levels thanks to clearly defined risk policies and responsibilities. Strategic risks and opportunities (e.g., related to climate change or water stress) are assessed in a top-down process, while a bottom-up process with a standardized methodology is used to assess environmental aspects, impacts, and risks, including legal compliance risks, in our operations.

The framework and methodology for our coordinated Group-wide Environmental Risk Assessment are based on best practice standards, meet ISO 14001 requirements, and ensure the consistent qualitative assessment of operational risks and impacts related to the environment. The resulting environmental risk database includes information on existing controls for environmental risks and future actions required.

The OMV Group Environmental Management Standard furthermore defines the process of carrying out Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs). Preventive and mitigation measures and the monitoring program to ensure implementation of the proposed measures are documented in an Environmental and Social Management Plan. The final ESIA report is submitted to the local regulator or lender (whichever is applicable) for review, public disclosure, and approval.

OMV tracks environmental performance in all relevant areas through an annual campaign using suitable IT tools for collecting, validating, and analyzing environmental data. Based on the results of the reporting, OMV can evaluate where our operations have the greatest potential for improvement. Detailed information on the performance of selected environmental indicators is presented under Performance in Detail. The Executive Board members are informed regularly, at least quarterly, about present and upcoming environmental, climate, and energy-related policies and regulations; related developments in the fuels and gas market; the financial implications of CO₂ emissions trading obligations; the status of innovation project implementation; and progress on achieving sustainability-related targets. (For more information on sustainability governance, see Sustainability Governance.)

Environmental Compliance

The OMV Group Environmental Management Standard requires compliance with all applicable environmental laws and regulations, identification of legal and other requirements, development and maintenance of appropriate legal compliance databases, and alignment with internationally accepted best practices as part of our EMS. According to the standard, we must also establish programs to prevent non-compliance to avoid monetary losses.

OMV is liable for the impact that our activities have on the environment. Breaching environmental regulations on a national and international level results in both monetary losses and harm to our reputation. Our license to operate depends on compliance with regulations relating to environmental protection, which is also of particular importance to governmental authorities, shareholders, and stakeholders, such as the public and environmental NGOs and NPOs.

In all our refineries, we monitor emissions of pollutants such as SO_x, NO_x, CO, particulate matter/dust, and (NM) VOC as required by European and national legislation and the respective permits. If emissions are found to be in excess of nationally prescribed limits and/or limits defined in a permit, additional monitoring stations are installed and measures are implemented.

EMS Certification

The OMV Group Environmental Management Standard requires that all relevant OMV businesses and activities (including investment, acquisitions, and divestment) implement an Environmental Management System (EMS) consistent with ISO 14001 and adhere to the minimum requirements listed. All relevant OMV businesses are required to review and update the EMS at least once per year, while a full EMS audit must be carried out either by an external independent auditor or OMV corporate environmental experts every three years for sites not certified to ISO 14001. Internal EMS audits are performed at the local level at least once a year to identify improvement measures.

OMV aims to achieve 100% compliance by all operational sites with the OMV Group Environmental Management Standard. In order to achieve this target, we developed and rolled out a self-assessment tool and have defined the units that will undergo the assessment to determine where there are gaps with respect to the system and standards. Following the analysis, the units undergoing the assessment will be required to implement compliance plans defining how they will close the identified gaps.

A total of 65% of OMV sites, including all three refineries, have been certified to ISO 14001. ¹ Excluding filling stations A total of 57% of OMV sites, including all three refineries, have been certified to ISO 50001. ² Excluding Borealis and filling stations In addition, OMV Deutschland GmbH also holds certification according to EMAS III (Eco Management and Audit Scheme).