Hess flaunts 2020 accolades for environmental record while funding polluting operation in Guyana

Feb 02, 2021 News

By Kemol King

Hess has a 30 percent stake in the Liza Phase One operation, which flared nearly all 2020, and is still flaring today.

Hess CEO, John Hess.

Kaieteur News – Hess Corporation has boasted that it received recognition from third party organizations for its environmental, social and governance performance in 2020, all the while funding the ExxonMobil Liza Phase One operation which has flared gas just about all year long.
Chief Executive Officer of Hess, John Hess, spoke of the company’s record during its 2020 Q4 earnings call last Wednesday, January 27.
“We are proud to have been recognized throughout 2020 by a number of third-party organizations for the quality of our environmental, social and governance performance and disclosure,” Hess said. “In December, we achieved leadership status in CDP’s annual Global Climate Analysis for the 12th consecutive year, and earned a place on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for North America for the 11th consecutive year.”
CDP stands for Carbon Disclosure Project. It is an international non-profit that granted Hess ‘Leadership’ status for its climate stewardship, late last year.
Vice President, Environmental, Health and Safety at Hess, Alex Sagebien said, “CDP’s rating recognizes our continued leadership in transparency and performance as we address climate-related risks and opportunities.”
Hess also, in December, pointed to an annual ranking of America’s most responsible companies by US magazine, Newsweek. Hess was ranked highest among oil and gas producers in their environmental, social and corporate governance.
Hess said during the earnings call last Wednesday, “Hess will continue to be guided by our values and longstanding commitment to sustainability as we help to meet the world’s growing need for energy while reducing our carbon footprint.”
For assets owned by Hess in Guyana, flaring of natural gas has been a sore spot in 2020, all year long. ExxonMobil is the operator of the Stabroek block with a 45 percent stake, while Hess owns a stake of 30 percent. Flaring in the Stabroek block totalled over 12 billion cubic feet of gas, equivalent to the removal of over 1.6 million acres of forest. Because of it, Guyana became one of the top five highest flaring countries in the world, per capita.
Kaieteur News reached out to Hess for a comment on its recognition as a good environmental steward in the same year that it funded ExxonMobil’s polluting operation. The company was asked what part it has played in mitigating the pollution, if any, and what it is doing to ensure the pollution is brought to an end. Hess was also asked how it would defend its record when it funds the polluting operation.
Senior Manager of Global Communications and External Affairs at Hess, Robert Young, deferred to the Liza Phase One operator, ExxonMobil.
“Hess is not the operator for Liza-1 and does not direct day to day activities,” Young said. “As is the global standard practice if you are seeking comment on operational activities of Liza-1, I would direct you to the operator, ExxonMobil.”

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