TotalEnergies EP South Africa (TEEPSA) has made significant progress to contribute to South Africa’s energy security, with the interest to explore and produce hydrocarbons.
TEEPSA aims to engage with interested and affected parties, including authorities, communities, and government by creating platforms to enable the public to access information related to its projects, and receive responses to frequently asked questions including direct engagement with TEEPSA.
We are committed to maintaining the highest standards regarding health, safety, environmental and quality standards, allowing us to respect the natural environment and human rights wherever we operate
As a responsible operator, TotalEnergies recognizes the projects’ potential environmental and social impacts, and takes them into consideration.
1-Dialogue with stakeholders:
As part of its commitment, TotalEnergies is promoting transparency and close cooperation with all relevant stakeholders and interested parties to continually engage with them, whatever the subject.
TEEPSA is committed to work closely with authorities, communities and government to ensure adherence to the local regulations, assessments, processes, and environmental and social performance protocols.
TEEPSA is strongly committed to engage with its stakeholders in a transparent way during its activities through a dedicated team aimed at establishing a broader and continuous engagement process with the different stakeholders located within the Project area of influence
TEEPSA will continue to engage with all relevant stakeholders in relation to any future activities as the various studies and activities progress. All required consultations as per the national environmental regulations will be adhered to.
2-Preservation of the physical and human environment:
TotalEnergies is committed to act as a responsible company vis-à-vis the risks and the potential impacts of its operations on the natural and human environment, including biodiversity and human rights.
In 2020, TotalEnergies set a new biodiversity ambition for itself to coincide with the preparation of the United Nations’ global biodiversity plan, which aims to protect global biodiversity and updates its public commitments in this field (sustainable-performance.totalenergies.com).
Furthermore, as stated in the company’s Code of Conduct and Human Rights Guide, TotalEnergies is committed to be aligned with the United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGP) on Business and Human Rights, clarifying the responsibilities of states and business units on Human Rights issues.
Regarding the Block 11B12B development project, TEEPSA launched environmental and social studies (baselines, impact assessments) to identify the impacts on the environment and local communities, the measures to avoid, mitigate and compensate potential negative impacts and the potential benefits. From the studies’ findings, the relevant Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMP) will be developed, defining how to implement mitigation measures during any activity.
3-Contribution to local development
TotalEnergies is committed to contribute to the socio-economic development of the areas of its operations through the promotion of economic growth and employment and the contribution to the transformation of the industry.
This approach is aligned with the South African regulation which requires the operator to submit a Social Labour Plan (SLP), as part of the application for a production right. The Social Labour Plan is being informed by different studies with the objective to understand the local social and industrial contexts, determine how the project can use local resources (workforce, goods, and services) in the supply chains required for the Project (and its future operations) and develop strategies to maximise the use of local content during the lifespan of the project.
The Social Labour Plan and proposals to support Local Economic Development (LED) projects, related to Block 11B/12B development, will be aligned with Mossel Bay Municipality’s integrated development plan, consolidated from consultations with interested communities, approved by PASA (Petroleum Agency of South Africa) and reviewed every 5 years
The joint venture partners are now preparing to undertake the development phase, which could lead to the production of the hydrocarbon resources. The first step in this process is to apply for a Production Right (PR) over Block 11B/12B.
TEEPSA holds Exploration Rights for the licence and any development will be subject to the satisfactory completion of an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and the granting of necessary Environmental Authorisations (EA).
The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) study started in October 2021 as part of TEEPSA’s Production Right application process in terms of the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 28 of 2002 (MPRDA) (as amended), and an environmental authorisation in terms of the National Environmental Management Act, 107 of 1998 (NEMA) (as amended).
As part of TEEPSA’s preparation for the proposed applications, it is undertaking studies including the development of a Social and Labour Plan (SLP). This work will feed into the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA).
1. We RECEIVE your grievance
2. We REGISTER your grievance
3. We INVESTIGATE your grievance to find a solution
4. We offer you a SOLUTION to resolve the issue
PURPOSE
This Grievance procedure explains what to do if you have a complaint about the activities related to the TotalEnergies EP South Africa TEEPSA) project or its contractor’s activities.
An individual, association, community, or an institution can report a grievance related to the TEEPSA project, teams or their contractors’ activities through the following procedure:
If you believe that the TEEPSA project is responsible for an unfair situation, you can report a complaint through the Stakeholder Relations Offer (SRO) or other project staff.
TotalEnergies Climate ambition
South Africa, like the rest of the world, is vulnerable to climate change. There is thus global concern of the need to reduce carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. TotalEnergies supports the aim of the Paris Agreement, with its call to reduce greenhouse emission in the context of sustainable development and eradicating poverty. Together with the Paris goal to limit planetary warming to well below 2 degrees centigrade compared with pre-industrial levels. TotalEnergies is at the center of the climate challenge and has set ambitions to become a responsible energy major. Our Mission is to provide energy that is reliable, affordable, cleaner, and accessible to as many people as possible.
The worldwide energy mix needs to evolve to be consistent with the Paris goals. TotalEnergies integrates such an evolution in its business strategy by promoting natural gas, together with hydrogen and biogas, investing in low-carbon electricity primarily produced from renewables, focusing investment on low-cost oil and biofuel, and investing in carbon sinks such as nature-based solutions and CCUS.
The South African Government policy currently supports exploration for indigenous oil and gas resources and currently promotes the use of natural gas as part of the energy mix up to 2030 to serve as a transition or bridge on the path to a carbon-neutral goal and provide the flexibility required to complement renewable energy sources. As such, South Africa has committed to a "just" transition in achieving carbon neutrality (net-zero emission) and a climate resilient society, whereby the need to reduce emissions is balanced with the need to grow the economy and create jobs.
