Environmental protection

TAP is fully committed to protecting the environment. We have collected extensive data to understand environmental and social sensitivities along the pipeline route to help develop our operations and mitigate risks. These enable us to manage environmental, social and cultural heritage (ESCH) risks and opportunities effectively.

TAP’s own environmental and social performance monitoring is supplemented by monitoring undertaken by: 

• our three host countries’ competent authorities
• project finance institutions and their independent environmental and social consultants  
• an independent environmental and social monitoring group, whose members include in-country specialists. 

Avoiding and minimising environmental and social impacts, and implementing mitigation, management and rehabilitation processes is central to TAP’s principles. These principles exist form the foundation of our operations and the TAP ESCH management system, meaning that sustainability is completely integrated into our business.  

The pipeline route and aboveground facilities’ locations have been selected carefully to avoid ESCH sensitivities wherever possible. Our facilities operate in compliance with the three host countries’ national requirements, the relevant European Union Directives and TAP’s governance requirements. 

Our ISO 14001 certified ESCH management system is aligned with relevant national and international standards, permit conditions and policies of the project finance institutions. It provides a comprehensive framework of controls and performance monitoring, to integrate ESCH standards into our operations. 

ESCH performance management is based on a dynamic process of assessment, activity planning, management, mitigation and monitoring, using the ISO 14001 management system framework of: 

• planning
• implementation
• checking corrective actions
• management review