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Over the past two years in particular, businesses have seen an increase in a focus on sustainability through the lens of ESG – environmental, social and governance. ESG is based on the understanding that non-financial factors materially impact a company’s performance, and therefore should be considered in investment decisions. While some organisations have been embedding ESG into their business strategies for some time, for others, the term ESG, and what it means for their business, is still relatively new.

In 2019 I was given the incredible opportunity to spend 12 weeks working 1,700 km offshore the coast of Mexico in the international waters of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), located in the Central Pacific Ocean. Water depth at the project site ranged between 3,000 and 4,600 m below sea level.

Marine mammal observation (MMO) is an important management measure and regulatory requirement for offshore petroleum activities. Marine mammal observers are routinely required to observe, monitor and record interactions between offshore activities and marine mammals such as whales and dolphins, to ensure that potential impacts are avoided, whilst collecting important data on marine mammal distribution and behaviours, and their interaction with offshore activities.

In 2019 ERIAS undertook a social and cultural baseline survey supported by drone technology as part of an impact assessment for Oil Search Limited (OSL) in the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea.

The drone was used to capture over 11,500 high-resolution images at 17 sites across the project area. Large-scale photographic orthomosaics and 3-dimensional digital terrain and vegetation health models were created and imported into the project geospatial database.

While COVID-19 presented many challenges for undertaking field work in Papua New Guinea, it also offered opportunities.