PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EQT Corporation has released its new online 2018 Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) report “
Journey
Beyond the Horizon.
” This report details EQT’s achievements
and progress toward its sustainability efforts during fiscal year 2017,
highlighting the Company’s management approach, performance, and
strategic focus on continually strengthening its corporate social
responsibility commitments to investors, leaseholders, local
communities, employees, and the environment.
In early 2017, EQT conducted an assessment to strategically guide its
sustainability reporting – and through this evaluation, identified
several key areas believed to be important to the Company’s various
stakeholder groups. EQT’s seventh annual CSR report, prepared in
accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards – Core
option, addresses the economic, environmental, and social topics
identified in the assessment.
This year’s report theme, Journey Beyond the Horizon, is both an
account of the Company’s considerable progress during the last several
years and a preview of EQT’s plans for continuous improvement in the
areas of responsible environmental stewardship, sound governance, and
sustainability. “We will continue to incorporate lessons learned and
best practices to enhance our operations and reporting strategies, while
remaining focused on the safety of our employees, contractors, and
communities,” said Lew Gardner, General Counsel and Vice President,
External Affairs for EQT Corporation.
Highlights of EQT’s 2018 Corporate Social Responsibility report
include:
Safety
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EQT employees participated in more than 15,000 hours of safety
training in 2017.
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With contractors making up nearly 75% of EQT’s total workforce hours,
the Company aggressively pursued steps to refine its contractor safety
management program by:
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Tracking contractor safety incident rates (injury and preventable
vehicle accidents) provided by contractors in the ISNETWorld®
database.
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Incorporating a contractor safety auditing process within EQT’s
contractor safety qualification program.
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Increasing field safety inspections by nearly 15%.
Environmental Stewardship
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In 2017, approximately 72% of the water used for EQT’s completions
operations was derived from recycled water sources.
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EQT continued to invest in innovative technologies, leverage industry
best practices, reuse water whenever possible, and disclose the
chemical makeup of fracturing fluids in its efforts to protect the
freshwater in communities where it operates.
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EQT is working to reduce methane emissions across its supply chain and
gain insights on how to improve its own processes. In 2018, EQT joined
the ONE Future Coalition, a group of natural gas companies working
together to use a science-based approach to reduce methane emissions
across the industry’s supply chain. EQT is currently evaluating its
methane emissions against the 1% target and expects to develop a
baseline for methane emission reductions in 2018 – with progress
reporting expected during 2019.
Community Investment
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In 2017, EQT and the EQT Foundation collectively, along with other
corporate funds, contributed approximately $12 million to local
communities. Of that amount:
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The EQT Foundation awarded a record high of more than $6.5 million
in grants, scholarships, and other charitable contributions to
non-profit organizations and programs throughout southwestern
Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia.
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EQT’s local giving and community sponsorship programs totaled just
under $1 million.
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EQT invested approximately $4.4 million to improve roads and
associated infrastructure in communities throughout Pennsylvania
and West Virginia, where the majority of EQT’s activities take
place.
Economic Impact
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In 2017, EQT activities generated nearly $540 million in state and
local tax revenues, supporting state and local governments. This
number increased from $481 million in 2016 and $337 million in 2015.
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In addition to its direct employees, EQT supported approximately
39,000 ancillary jobs across its operations in 2017 — a 20% increase
from 2016.
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EQT generated an average labor income for employees, direct
contractors, and suppliers that met or exceeded U.S. median household
income of $59,039 in 2017.
Since 2012, EQT has published annual sustainability reports in
accordance with GRI guidelines to demonstrate its commitment to
transparency and accountability. EQT is one of the few U.S.-based energy
companies to voluntarily pursue this degree of disclosure –
significantly enhancing EQT’s transparency to its various stakeholders
regarding the Company’s safe and responsible operations and commitment
to continuous improvement.
About EQT Corporation:
EQT Corporation is an integrated energy company with emphasis on
Appalachian area natural gas production, gathering, and transmission.
With more than 130 years of experience and a long-standing history of
good corporate citizenship, EQT is the largest producer of natural gas
in the United States. As a leader in the use of advanced horizontal
drilling technology, EQT is committed to minimizing the impact of
drilling-related activities and reducing its overall environmental
footprint. Through safe and responsible operations, EQT is helping to
meet our nation’s growing demand for clean-burning energy, while
continuing to provide a rewarding workplace and enrich the communities
where its employees live and work. EQT owns the general partner interest
and a 91% limited partner interest in EQT GP Holdings, LP, which owns
the general partner interest, all of the incentive distribution rights,
and a portion of the limited partner interest in EQT Midstream Partners,
LP.
Visit EQT Corporation at www.EQT.com;
and to learn more about EQT’s sustainability efforts, please visit https://csr.eqt.com.
