Sustainability

Technologies to reduce pollution

Technology often allows the reduction in the polluting emissions in the air caused by the combustion of fossil fuels. In industrialised countries, thanks to targeted investments, some of the most common pollutants have decreased their concentration in the atmosphere. The emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2) decreased by 40% thanks to the processing of smokestack emissions and the use of low sulphur oil and by-products. Yearly emissions of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide have remained virtually unchanged, despite the economic growth and the increase in the manufacture of goods.   
A sector in which technology has helped mankind decreasing the environmental impact is the motor vehicle sector. For a few years car manufactures have been manufacturing less polluting cars (thanks to catalytic converters and better engines and petrol) which consume less fuels (in some cases the kilometres covered with a litre of petrol have increased by up to 50%).
Oil companies too are endeavouring to reduce the environmental impact of their activities. Approximately 10% of their economic investments are aimed at making the search for and the extraction of oil increasingly environmentally friendly.
Before starting any operation, environmental impact studies identify the instruments to limit the impact on the ecosystems of the area involved. During the production stage, all the waste (both liquid and solid) produced by the well is processed and made inert (i.e. unable to contaminate) before being disposed of in ad hoc dumps. During the transportation stage, pipelines and oil tankers are equipped with increasingly efficient safety systems. For example new tankers are equipped with a double hull and sealed compartments to limit any possible leak of crude oil. Moreover, new cleaning technologies allow the processing of oil residues in special plants on the mainland, thus preventing their discharge into the sea.