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By NEIL
CHATTERJEE
Reuters News Service |
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/business/energy/1654838
LONDON -- Exxon Mobil is working more
closely with nongovernmental organizations on projects to help
avoid the social unrest it has suffered in the past, a senior
executive said Friday.
Vice President Frank Sprow said oil companies traditionally
tended to just pay their taxes and expect governments to take
care of local concerns.
"We're older and wiser now. We're stretching out more to
work with NGOs," he said, speaking of nongovernmental
organizations.
He said ensuring that local populations
received economic and social benefits from projects
such as the controversial Exxon-led Chad-Cameroon oil
pipeline
would
also benefit the company.
The company has suffered from its experiences in the
resource-rich Indonesian province of Aceh, where separatists
fighting the government bombed Exxon's gas export terminal
last year.
"It's not a desirable outcome to have people shot in the
environs (of a plant), and having to go to massive security
operations. In Aceh we had to shut down, which was an economic
handicap."
However, Sprow said criticism would not stop it from pursuing
projects.
He said the company had been targeted by
environmentalists because it was seen to fail two "litmus
tests": accepting a definitive link between fossil fuel
use and global warming, and on investment in renewable energy.
"Activist organizations want you to take an oath that man
is ruining the environment -- it's a substantial risk, but the
science is not a done deal
--
so we fail that," he said.
The company says it has significantly reduced greenhouse gas
emissions
at its plants through energy efficiency and is working with
car manufacturers
to develop cleaner fuels and fuel-cell engines using hydrogen
from gasoline.
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