We aim to minimise harmful impacts from our operations throughout their life cycle, from initial project planning to operations and decommissioning. We support the Kyoto protocol and apply the precautionary principle in our operations.

Risk management is an integral part of our management system as well as our efforts to minimise harmful impacts on the environment. We assess risks relating to health, safety, security and environment (HSE), business integrity and social responsibility on the basis of the likelihood and potential effects on business and third parties. In addition to complying with national laws and our own internal policies and standards, we employ the International Finance Corporation Performance Standards as minimum standards and support the "as low as reasonably practicable" (ALARP) and "best available technique" (BAT) principles.

The overall management system for the StatoilHydro group and the management systems of most of our main operational entities have been certified in accordance with both the ISO 9001 standard for Quality Management Systems and the ISO 14001 standard for Environmental Management Systems (EMS).

We use a multi-disciplinary approach to risk management, drawing on tools and expertise from our business integrity, social responsibility and HSE disciplines to respond to the diverse set of challenges brought about by our international activities. 

• We assess country risks systematically in the countries relevant to our operations in order to better understand local conditions, business culture and external factors - including political, social, environmental, security and ethical dimensions 
• We use risk and due diligence assessments - including of our business relationships - in order to make informed investment decisions, and we conduct integrated impact assessments throughout the project life cycle
• We regularly conduct risk assessments relating to safety and the work environment, and continuously monitor performance and satisfaction through surveys and dialogues. We follow up with measures to promote healthy working environment lifestyles among our staff
• We engage and consult with our host communities and other stakeholders to ensure continued support for our presence and our operations.

In 2008, we implemented a tool for integrated early-phase risk assessments of our international operations (Early Phase Risk Assessment, EPRA), bringing together discipline experts from HSE, business integrity and social responsibility. The tool has been used on several potential acquisitions and early-phase activities, and is expected to be incorporated as a group-wide risk management tool from 2009 onwards.

Furthermore, we revised our guidelines for integrated impact assessment in line with the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) Social and Environmental Performance Standards. In collaboration with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and other partners, we also participated in finalising and launching a framework for measuring our direct and indirect social and environmental impacts and improving our dialogue with host communities and other stakeholders. The framework draws in part on our experiences of documenting and communicating our impacts at the Snøhvit LNG-facility in northern Norway.

In 2008 we introduced stricter requirements for integrity due diligence of our business relationships in order to improve our screening of new investments, partners, contractors and suppliers for integrity risks and human rights reputational issues. We also initiated a supply-chain review of significant contractors and suppliers in our key operating locations, focusing particularly on analysing labour rights and employment conditions.