The review – First Steps, Sustainability Review 2004 – outlines a framework which Santos said it would use to measure its future sustainability performance.

Santos used the United Nations Environment Program’s Global Reporting Initiative criteria to provide a framework of relevant issues for consideration, identifying areas of good performance and areas for improvement.

“This first Sustainability Review illustrates our commitment to operating on a sustainable basis and to continually strive to improve practices and procedures as they affect the communities in which we work and the interests of all of our stakeholders,” Santos’ managing director John Ellice-Flint said.

“It sets a starting point for the collection of sustainability data so that we can measure on an annual basis, and progressively improve, Santos’ overall performance in this regard,” he said.

“Our environmental and social goals at Santos are inherently linked to our financial and operating targets. Operating in a sustainable manner makes good business and economic sense and keeps our accountability transparent.”

The Sustainability Review reported that Santos has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by introducing solar-powered air compressors at well sites.

It has also provided leadership in the campaign to have the Coongie Lakes wetlands area in northern South Australia declared a National Park and had participated in Clean Up Australia Day with more than 300 Santos staff participating in the program around Australia.

Santos had also been recognised with a maximum five star rating for corporate governance by Howarth and the University of Newcastle in 2002, 2003 and 2004, and the company was committing $25 million over 10 years towards the Australian School of Petroleum at the University of Adelaide.

Ellice-Flint said some of Santos’ future commitments to operating in a sustainable manner included reporting annually on sustainability performance and aiming to reduce greenhouse emissions per unit of production by 20% from 2002 to 2008.

In addition, Santos said it would implement strategies to reduce and prevent pollution, manage waste, use water efficiently and address cultural heritage and biodiversity issues.

It was also reviewing the environmental impact of goods and services provided by suppliers, implementing strategies to continue to reduce the frequency and severity of injuries and adjusting its sponsorship program to reflect the geographic spread of Santos’ interests and priorities