Article 6: Supporting the SDG: ensuring conservation of life below water
More than 75% of the earth’s surface is covered by water, and there is a clear link between the state of the oceans and human health. Climate, drinking water, much of our food and even the oxygen we breathe are provided and regulated by the sea. Yet continuous pollution and acidification of the oceans are degrading marine environments and impacting climate change.
This is one of the critical issues identified by the United Nations in its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UN has set an objective under SDG 14 to promote the sustainable management and protection of marine and coastal ecosystems and biodiversity.
At Q8Oils Blending Plant in Antwerp we apply rigorous health, safety, social and environmental management systems to minimise the impact of our operations on the local environment, including the River Schelde which runs alongside the plant and flows into the North Sea.
The Blending Plant is located in the industrial Blue Gate area of Antwerp, an area historically contaminated by pipelines and mineral oil seepage. A major redevelopment programme was launched in 2012 and phase 1 is complete following the removal or remediation of 300,000 tonnes of polluted soil. Via Blue Gate, Q8Oils is involved in ongoing infrastructure improvement works which include the purification of canals on the site, most recently the Leigracht canal.
Our employees at the Blending Plant are keen to help protect the local waters on a personal level. Some of our team volunteered in their free time to join a clean-up operation to remove litter from the surrounding area to prevent contamination to the river Schelde and the sea beyond. Plastic coffee cups at the plant have also been replaced by 100% compostable cups to prevent plastic pollution to the river and sea.
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Article 6: Supporting the SDG: ensuring conservation of life below water
