Activities of Catherine GRÈZE related to 2011/2308(INI)
Plenary speeches (3)
Environmental impacts of shale gas and shale oil extraction activities - Industrial, energy and other aspects of shale gas and oil (debate)
Environmental impacts of shale gas and shale oil extraction activities - Industrial, energy and other aspects of shale gas and oil (debate)
Environmental impacts of shale gas and shale oil extraction activities - Industrial, energy and other aspects of shale gas and oil (debate)
Amendments (9)
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses that unconventional gas is associated with major risks, related to the use of chemicals; water contaminated with radioactive substances such as radon and uranium; high amount of water used for the fracturing of fluid; potentially high emissions of methane, etc.;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Considers that the use of shale gas and other fossil fuels must be consistent with UNFCCC Article 2, which calls for the "stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system" and underlines that substantial lock-in to fossil fuel infrastructures such as shale gas would put this international objective out of reach;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that the exploitation of unconventional oil and gas resources could hamper the achievement of ‘MDG 7 on Environmental Sustainability’, while jeopardising commitments taken regarding climate change, that already affect poor countries the most; furthermore, stresses that in addition to direct health and environmental effects, impacts of unconventional gas or oil extraction on livelihoods pose a particular threat among others in African countries where local communities largely depend on natural resources for agriculture and fisheries;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Insists that lessons must be drawn from the USA on exploitation of shale gas; in particular, notes with concern that shale gas extraction necessitates very large volumes of water, which will jeopardise the achievement of MDG 7 on access to clean water and food security, especially in poor countries facing already a huge scarcity of water;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines that land acquisitions for oil and gas mining are a major driver of land- grabbing globally and pose a significant threat to the world's indigenous communities, farmers and poor people in terms of access to water, fertile soil and food; notes that, following the 2008 collapse of financial markets, there has been a marked acceleration of global investments in extractive industries from hedge and pension funds investors, with the effect of further driving their extractions;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes with concern that the current regulatory framework of EU legislation does not provide an adequate guarantee against the risks to the environment and human health resulting from shale gas activities; is worried, therefore, about any potential investment by European companies in unconventional oil or gas resources in developing countries, bearing in mind that the effects of oil companies' activities on the environment, health and development i.e. in Sub-Sahara Africa already demonstrate that implementation and enforcement of law represent a main constraint;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes the view that, in hosting companies investing in extractive activities, the EU has a responsibility to influence their behaviour as regards more sustainable practices, i.e. by strengthening corporate governance standards and regulations applied to the banks and funds that finance them, including through Equator Principles, the Principles of Responsible Investment, the European Investment Bank and the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Recalls that in addition to regulations in the countries where they operate, international oil companies are also subject to the jurisdictions where they are listed on a stock exchange; considers that home country regulation should provide an effective means of protecting human rights in situations where accountability gaps exist, on the model of the United States Alien Tort Claims Acts;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that many instruments exist that could address the negative social and environmental impacts of the activities of extractive industries, such as the Global Reporting Initiative, the UN Global Compact and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises; points out, however, that voluntary guidelines are insufficient to mitigate the negative impact of extraction; hence, stresses upon the need to further consider the question of imposing direct legal obligations on business entities under international human rights law and how such obligations might be monitored;