Describe the process(es) your organization has in place to ensure that your engagement activities are consistent with your overall climate change strategy[…]The appointment of the CSO, who also serves as Deputy General Counsel for Company-wide Environmental & Regulatory matters, ensures that the Company has a comprehensive vision and voice to manage all external stakeholder issues, engagements with trade associations, and relevant government oversight functions. The CSO also leads the ESG Committee and oversees the seven ESG Working Groups, which allows a consistent ESG strategy to be implemented throughout the organization. Further, the CSO leads the review of internal and external ESG messaging to ensure the climate change strategy and messaging are consistently delivered. This allows Equitrans to ensure consistency in its messaging.
The CSO also serves on the board of INGAA, which allows a consistent message to be presented. The CSO regularly meets with the VP, Environmental, Safety, and Compliance, who serves on the Board of ONE Future, which allows for consistent messaging to trade associations.
Equitrans has previously made public statements to allow stakeholders to understand its stance on certain issues, including the 2020 public debate regarding the EPA's methane regulations. Equitrans took the public step to formally object to the efforts to lessen the requirements of methane regulations as applied to the oil and gas industry. The Company reaffirmed this position in 2021, with a press release dated April 16, 2021 which is partially listed below, when the current administration announced plans to re-establish the higher level of methane regulations. Equitrans' President was quoted in the statement: "We must continue to push our industry forward in a meaningful way in order to effectuate real mitigation of climate change impacts, and we support approval of the methane resolution under the Congressional Review Act.†
"Equitrans Midstream Corporation (NYSE: ETRN) supports the U.S. oil and gas industry's ongoing efforts to reduce methane emissions and reaffirms its prior opposition to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) rollback of methane regulations in 2020. ETRN supports H.J. Resolution 34, and S.J. Resolution 14 – providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Oil and Natural Gas Sector: Emission Standards for New, Reconstructed, and Modified Sources Review.†
The combination of these efforts helps ensure consistency of our activities and our external messaging to stakeholders.