SUSTAINABLE corporate governance comes under the spotlight at the 9th Annual HSE (health, safety, and the environment) Forum in Energy, which starts tomorrow (Sept. 30) at the Doha Grand Hyatt in Qatar. Held under the patronage of Dr. Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy & Industry and Chairman & Managing Director of Qatar Petroleum, the two-day conference and exhibition, with workshops on day three, is designed to help support initiatives to reduce workplace fatalities, maintain employee wellbeing and ensure sustainable environmental protection. “According to the Institute for International Finance (IIF), the collective oil and gas export earnings of the GCC countries climbed to a record $737.5 billion or over 40 percent of GDP in 2012. It was also the highest income from oil sales in the GCC's history and any major incident could have a devastating impact on the Gulf economies,” Jumana Mashraqui, Conference Production specialist, Fleming Gulf. Now in its ninth year, the 2013 conference program themed, “Reflective Practice: Promoting Collective Responsibility”, will once again bring together over 350 leading global industrial stakeholders from the energy sector to chart solutions essential to reduce workplace fatalities, reinforce visible leadership, improve workforce competency and mainstream social responsibility into the business through an integrated hazard prevention framework. Delivering the keynote address and setting the tone for the forum is Dr. Ali Hamed Al Mulla, Manager Corporate HSE, at Qatar Petroleum, who will share his vision for HSE - endorsing corporate values and promoting collective ownership. The conference opens in earnest with the executive plenary session, which is being moderated by Mahesh Patel, assistant manager, HSE liaison and acting manager, HSE business strategies in HSE regulations and enforcement, at Qatar Petroleum. Patel will lead a panel of experts to examine what energy sector organizations can do individually and collectively to drive change within their respective organizations, to develop sustainable corporate governance strategies. “HSE in the oil and gas sector has to be in line with the business process and the CSR mission. A serious threat exists if the HSE, the business and CSR strategies are heading in different directions and for different purposes. “The industry as a whole has to be committed to social responsibility and social development. Priority must be given to human development and the sustainable health of the workforce, while social and environmental requirements are a must legally,” added Mashraqui. “HSE should be an integral part of any organization's core value system, it should be in their DNA, driven internally and corporately governed,” said Kathy A. Seabrook CSP, CMIOSH, ASSE, President-elect 2013-2014. — SG
