European Presentation of the results of the public...

Presentation of the results of the public consultation “Unconventional fossil fuels (e.g. shale gas) in Europe”

Brussels – June 7th 2013

Project under Framework Contract for economic analysis ENV.F.1/FRA/2010/0044

Consortium co-ordinator: Institute for Environmental Studies

Project leader: BIO Intelligence Service

European Commission DG Environment

Context of the public consultation

2Presentation of the results of the public consultation “Unconventional fossil fuels (e.g. shale gas) in Europe”

The public consultation on unconventional fossil fuels (e.g shale gas) was launched on 20 December 2012 and closed on 23 March 2013

The context of the public consultation is the preparation of the impact assessment of the “Environmental, Climate and Energy Assessment Framework to Enable Safe and Secure Unconventional Hydrocarbon Extraction” initiative.

This analysis provides an understanding of the views on opportunities and challenges and possible ways to address the challenges associated with unconventional fossil fuels (e.g shale gas) extraction expressed by citizens, organisations and authorities across the EU (and beyond) through the public consultation.

Number and origin of respondents


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Number of individual respondents

22,875 respondents: 22,122 responses from individuals Most respondents are from Poland, France, Romania, Spain and Germany

Types of responding organisations


783 respondents covering 696 organisations: 666 responses on behalf of 614 institutions gathering various types of stakeholders 87 responses on behalf of 82 public authorities

Academic institutions

Companies

Environmental and social NGOS

Industry and trade associations

Intergovernmental organisations

National authorities

Regional or local authorities

Others

Distribution of respondents according to the type of organisationsthey represent

Analysis of the questions


Methodology for analysis of the results

Descriptive statistics provided for each section of the questionnaire

Analysis of correlations between responses

There is no double counting of organisations, but also no deletion of different responses: If there are several respondents from the same organisation, all their answers are

accounted for, but each organisation has a weight of one On-going analysis of open questions – random sampling of answers for

individual respondents

For some questions, analysis of what the results would have been if participation had been more even across countries (in the report) Weighted averages statistics, only provided in parallel to direct averages, not

replacing them

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Key messages gathered

Three groups of respondents Respondents in favour of the development of unconventional fossil fuels,

identifying many potential benefits. Respondents that think that strict environmental and health safeguards should be

put in place, more likely to want a regulation at the EU level. Respondents against, identifying many potential challenges, with some of them

wanting a ban of unconventional fossil fuels in all the EU.

However, a large majority of respondents agree on the lack of adequate legislation, the need for public information and the lack of public acceptance of unconventional fossil fuels (e.g shale gas)

Among the policy options, “doing nothing at EU level” is the least favoured option by the majority of respondents

Presentation of the results of the public consultation « Unconventional fossil fuels (e.g. shale gas) in Europe »

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Opinion of individuals from EU Member States about the development of unconventional fossil fuels (e.g. shale gas) in Europe


Weighted by population*

Should not be developed in Europe at all

Should be developed in Europe only if proper health and environmental safeguards are in placeShould be developed in Europe anyway

No opinion

*under the assumption that each respondent would represent an equal share of the population of his country of residence.

0%

10%

20%

30%

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80%

90%

100%

Total EU

I – Opinion of respondents about unconventional fossil fuels (1/4)


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Opinion of individuals about the development of unconventional fossil fuels (e.g. shale gas) in Europe by country of residence (share of respondents)


0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Should be developed in Europe anyway

Should be developed in Europe only if proper health and environmental safeguards are in place


No opinion

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Opinion of organisations about the development of unconventional fossil fuels (e.g. shale gas) in Europe by type of organisations


0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Academic institutions (17)

Companies (216)

Environmental and social NGOs

(226)

Industry and trade

associations (74)

Inter-governmental organisations

(5.33)

National authorities (13)

Regional and local authorities

(68)

Others (75.7) All organisations (965)




No opinion


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Opinion of companies and trade and industry associations about the development of unconventional fossil fuels (e.g. shale gas) in Europe by sector and by size (for companies only)


0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Oil and gas (53) Other companies and trade and industry associations (237)




No opinion

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Big companies (61) SMEs (155)




No opinion


II – Benefits of unconventional fossil fuels as identified by respondents (1/3)

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Share of individual respondents from EU countries stating that a potential benefit could be major or significant according to the potential benefit


12

Average share of potential benefits considered as major or significant by type of organisations from EU countries



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Main themes appearing in the answers to the open-ended question on additional benefits


Potential benefits for EU economy (reducing cost of implementation of EU climate policy, local development, scientific development)

Potential benefits for EU industry (reindustrialisation, chemical industry, natural gas vehicles, etc.)

Potential benefits for innovations in technology (Development of new extraction and drilling methods)

Potential benefits for energy security and access to energy (energy poverty, energy security, etc.)


III – Challenges of unconventional fossil fuels as identified by respondents (1/3)

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Share of respondents from EU countries stating that each issue could lead to major or significant challenge


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Average share of potential challenges considered as major or significant by type of organisation from EU countries



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Main themes appearing in the answers to the open-ended question on additional challenges


Potential legal and political failures (inconsistency in application of existing EU legislation)

Risk of conflicts (eg with third countries)

Potential land and soil issues (e.g. reduction of agricultural and breeding lands)

Potential lack in technology knowledge (insufficient knowledge on consequences from the hydraulic fracturing process)

Potential long term issues (rehabilitation of the site after cessation of the activity, risks for local populations)


IV – Recommended measures to avoid or minimise challenges of unconventional fossil fuels as identified by respondents (1/3)

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Strong support for all the measures proposed to avoid or minimise the challenges


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Average share of measures considered as very important or important by type of organisations

On this question, no difference was found between oil and gas and other companies



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Main themes appearing in the answers to the open-ended question on additional measures


Legal options to be implemented (e.g. prohibit exploitation where drinking water is extracted, high level of law enforcement)

Information needs (evaluate risks and benefits, closely monitor exploration areas)

Technological standards to be implemented (develop industry standards)

Innovation needs (innovative alternative exploitation methods)


V – Readiness of respondents to change their opinion about unconventional fossil fuels (e.g. shale gas)

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Readiness of respondents to change their opinion about unconventional fossil fuels (e.g. shale gas) development if measures were implemented


0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Individuals from EU (21954) Organisations (694)

I don't know

No

Maybe

Yes

Answers from individual respondents on policy options to address the identified challenges and risks at EU level

VI – Preferences for potential policy options (1/2)

21Presentation of the results of the public consultation « Unconventional fossil fuels (e.g. shale gas) in Europe »

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Do nothing, the current framework is appropriate

Develop information exchange, guidance on

best practices and encourage voluntary approaches by the

industry

Clarify existing EU legislation through

guidelines

Adapt individual pieces of existing EU legislation

Develop a comprehensive and specific EU piece of

legislation for unconventional fossil fuels (eg shale gas)

Yes Maybe No I don't know

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Answers from all organisations on policy options to address the identified challenges and risks at EU level


0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%


Develop information exchange, guidance on

best practices and encourage voluntary approaches by the

industry

Clarify existing EU legislation through

guidelines


Develop a comprehensive and specific EU piece of

legislation for unconventional fossil fuels (eg shale gas)



VII – Importance of availability of information on unconventional fossil fuels (e.g. shale gas) activities in Europe

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A very large majority of respondents considered that information needs were important or very important

Information on planned developments

Information about operators, their licences and permits

Baseline data (e.g. data on water and air quality prior to operations)

Operational data (e.g. volumes of water used; chemical additives used)

Information on incidents associated with exploration and extraction

Information on potential risks associated exploration and extraction

Information on potential benefits


VIII – Opinion about role of unconventional fossil fuels (e.g. shale gas) in achieving EU resource efficiency and low carbon economy objectives

(1/2)

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Opinion of individual respondents from EU Member States about role of unconventional fossil fuels (e.g. shale gas) in achieving EU resource efficiency and low carbon economy objectives


d by population*

I don't know

No

Yes only if proper health and environmental safeguards and additional policies Yes only if proper health and environmental safeguards in place

Yes whatever the conditions of development

*under the assumption that each institution would represent an equal share of the population of its country of residence.0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Total EU

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Opinion of organisations about role of unconventional fossil fuels (e.g. shale gas) in achieving EU resource efficiency and low carbon economy objectives by type of organisation


0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Academic institutions (17)

Companies (216)

Environmental or social NGOs

(226)

Industry and trade

associations (73)

Inter-governmental

organisations (5)

National authorities (13)

Regional and local authorities

(68)

Others (76) All organisations (694)

Yes whatever the conditions Yes if safeguards Yes if safeguards and policies No I don't know


(2/2)

Contact

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• Shailendra [email protected]

• François [email protected]

• Lorcan [email protected]

• Lidia [email protected]

[email protected]

Contacts

I – Overall opinion of individual respondents about unconventional fossilfuels (1/4)

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Opinion of individuals from EU Member States about the development of unconventional fossil fuels (e.g. shale gas) in Europe


0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Total EU Weighted by population*


Should be developed in Europe only if proper health and environmental safeguards are in placeShould be developed in Europe anyway

No opinion

*Responses received from each country were weighted by its share of the EU population.

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%


Develop information exchange, guidance on best practices and encourage voluntary approaches by the industry

Clarify existing EU legislation through guidelines


Develop a comprehensive and specific EU piece of legislation for unconventional fossil fuels (eg shale gas)


0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%


Develop information exchange, guidance on best practices and encourage voluntary approaches by the industry

Clarify existing EU legislation through guidelines


Develop a comprehensive and specific EU piece of legislation for unconventional fossil fuels (eg shale gas)


28

Answers from individual respondents on policy options to address the identified challenges and risks at EU level


Weighted by population


(1/2)

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Opinion of individual respondents from EU Member States about role of unconventional fossil fuels (e.g. shale gas) in achieving EU resource efficiency and low carbon economy objectives


0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Total EU (21951) Weighted by population*

I don't know

No

Yes only if proper health and environmental safeguards and additional policies Yes only if proper health and environmental safeguards in place

Yes whatever the conditions of development

*Responses received from each country were weighted by its share of the EU population.

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