Our Sustainability commitment
SHV Gas
SHV Gas is the largest dedicated global LPG distributor. SHV Gas operates in 27 countries, employs 13,500 people, has a turnover of over € 5 billion and provides LPG to tens of millions of customers. As part of SHV it belongs to a family owned organisation that has supplied energy to businesses and consumers for over 100 years. SHV is also currently active in developing a variety of renewable energy technologies through its subsidiary, The Clean Energy Company.
LPG
LPG is a naturally occurring product of the natural gas extraction process. It is also an automatic result of the oil refining production process. As a low carbon, low polluting fossil fuel, it is recognised by Governments around the world for the contribution it can make towards improved indoor and outdoor air quality and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. This provides society with substantial advantages when it is used as a substitute for petrol, diesel, heating oil or most solid fuels. In rural areas where the inherent inefficiency of centralised electricity production is most pronounced, LPG can offer substantial CO2 emission reductions for many applications. LPG is widely available and is becoming more so due to the increase in natural gas fields coming on line around the world.
LPG can be used for hundreds of commercial and domestic applications. SHV Gas is proud to lead the way in developing existing and new markets for LPG around the world through effective innovation, education and promotion strategies.
Managing our Business
SHV Gas aims to be the LPG supplier of choice in each of the countries in which it operates. In line with this mission, SHV Gas believes that the only truly sustainable market is a freely competitive one and every SHV Gas company adheres to a strict competition compliance policy tailored to local legislative framework. To achieve our mission all SHV Gas companies are allowed the freedom to design strategies and construct business models that are aligned to local market conditions.
SHV Gas believes that this philosophy is core to the creation of an internationally sustainable business model reflected in our annual sustainability action plan which is regularly reviewed by the SHV Gas Executive Committee. Underpinning this approach are five sustainability areas that each SHV Gas company focuses upon and these make up the SHV Gas Sustainability Commitment.
Safety
No energy company can claim to be truly sustainable unless it has safety at its core. SHV Gas companies, wherever they operate, share this philosophy and are committed to safety policies that ensure that our customer, employees and the general public are well protected from any potential harm arising from our business. In countries where SHV Gas regards the regulatory framework as suboptimal to ensure a safe business approach, SHV Gas corporate standards will be applied and the local SHV Gas business will work actively with authorities to improve the safety standards applicable in that country.
Environment
SHV Gas companies are required to provide their core product of LPG in the most environmentally sensitive way practicable. This approach also extends to providing LPG / renewable energy systems and energy efficiency advice to SHV Gas customers. This philosophy is at the heart of SHV Gas’ Sustainability Commitment and all Business Units are required to include environmental factors within their normal commercial planning activities.
People
A sustainable organisation has to value its people. SHV Gas has a policy of employing, developing and fairly rewarding its people, wherever they work and whatever they do. It also aims to stimulate employment in national economies by recruiting local people. SHV Gas people can expect fair working conditions, relevant training and development. Our decentralised culture encourages empowerment together with open and honest communication within and between SHV Gas teams.
Customers
SHV Gas companies share the common ambition of becoming the LPG Company of choice for consumers within the country that they operate. To achieve this they are encouraged to put the customer at the heart of the Business Units’ commercial strategy thereby ensuring that SHV Gas customers are delivered a world class sustainable service – wherever they live.
Community
SHV Gas understands that their Business Units can only become sustainable in the long term with the acceptance and understanding of the communities within which they operate. There is a variety of good neighbour and community investment programmes amongst SHV Gas Group companies. These programmes are actively encouraged at national board level.
In fulfilling this commitment, SHV Gas will continually review its business operations to ensure that its structure, customer propositions and investment programmes are sustainable in an ever changing international societal, economic and environmental climate.