Our Responsibility
Nord Stream is dedicated to building and operating its pipelines safely. To achieve this, Nord Stream works with experienced partners to ensure the highest safety standards. These requirements were met for the technical design of the pipelines and defining their optimum route through the Baltic Sea, and will continue to be upheld throughout construction and operation.
A Project of International Significance
Nord Stream is committed, through national and international agreements, to carrying out all work safely and in an environmentally responsible manner. In order to obtain the permits necessary to begin the construction of the twin pipeline system, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was carried out for each country through whose territorial waters or Exclusive Economic Zones the pipelines cross: Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany. Nord Stream was also involved in extensive consultations with all countries around the Baltic Sea, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, which had the opportunity to review the project's potential impacts. With nine countries involved, this was one of the most complex international environmental consultations ever undertaken.
All permits necessary to begin construction were received by February 2010.
Working with Respect for the Baltic Sea
Nord Stream invested more than 100 million euros in environmental impact studies and environmental planning to ensure that the design and routing of the pipelines through the Baltic Sea is safe and environmentally friendly. At the start of construction of Line 1 of the twin pipeline system in April 2010, Nord Stream also implemented national Environmental and Social Monitoring Programmes (ESMPs) to monitor any impact of the construction and operation of the pipelines. Nord Stream plans to invest a total of approximately 40 million euros into its ESMPs through 2016 to ensure the twin pipeline system will be operated with the same regard for the ecosystem which guided its construction.
Nord Stream is committed to sharing the data and monitoring results from the ESMPs with national authorities and all interested parties. This information is available in our Library.
Aiding Research and Preservation of the Baltic Sea
The data collected by Nord Stream during its comprehensive research and planning phase contributes significantly to a deeper understanding of the challenges the Baltic Sea is facing. Nord Stream has established and financially supports a Data and Information Fund to share the information it has gathered with relevant stakeholders, including HELCOM (Helsinki Commission), universities and non-governmental organisations active in protecting the Baltic Sea.
Nord Stream also supports research and preservation of the Baltic Sea's cultural heritage through sponsorship of Heritage Underwater – Maritime Archaeology (HUMA). HUMA explores wrecks and examines artefacts around the Island of Gotland, Sweden.
To underline its commitment to the protection of the marine environment of the Baltic Sea, Nord Stream has been supporting a Gotland University research project since 2008. The project examines interactions between the seabed, waterfowl and humans in the changing Baltic Sea environment.
Supporting Local and Regional Causes
Nord Stream not only works with respect for the environment, it also supports a number of cultural and charitable organisations, making social responsibility an integral part of how it operates.
In 2008, Nord Stream AG and the Usedom Music Festival initiated the Baltic Youth Philharmonic to promote the advancement of promising young musicians, while supporting the cultural diversity of the Baltic Sea region. The concept is to bring young people from around the Baltic Sea together to transcend geographical and artistic boundaries.
Nord Stream also provides financial support to the Rodnichok Children's Home, which is located near the start of the pipeline in Vyborg, Russia. Nord Stream's contributions will enable the orphanage to make vital renovations, improving the facilities for the 60 children who reside there.
