Words Susan Fulton
What does IPT stand for?
IPT stands for Issa Petrol Trade. Starting as a small gas station in 1989, IPT grew throughout the years to become today a leading Lebanese oil and gas company that imports, stores and distributes petroleum products including gasoline, gasoil, diesel oil, LPG and lubricants to gas stations, factories, and homes.
Tell us about IPTEC
IPT Energy Center (IPTEC) was established in 2012 as part of IPT Group’s CSR initiatives.
It is a specialized research center in the field of energy conservation and efficient energy use and is run by both an internal and external team of energy and environment specialists. IPTEC serves IPT and the wider Lebanese society, since its activities focus on primary environmental issues derived from the use of energy sources. In collaboration with different partners, IPTEC tries to promote efficient energy use and solutions for the reduction of the bad impact of energy use on our health and environment in order to transform our society into a cleaner and better place in which to live.
Tell us about your initiatives. Because the transportation sector significantly contributes to air pollution in Lebanon, IPTEC launched the “National Campaign for Air Pollution Reduction in Lebanon through Efficient Energy Use in Land Transportation” in 2012, and the “Koun Eco-Driver” initiative in September 2014, with the support of the Ministry of the Environment, ESCWA, and UNDP.
As part of the initiative, IPTEC is collaborating this year with Fabriano (an art products supplier) and a large network of schools to invite students to express through art their concern for the air pollution caused by land transportation and the solutions that they propose.
IPTEC is also planning to organize a seminar on “Air Pollution from Land Transportation in Lebanon: Reality and Solutions” at AUB, which will be held in collaboration with the UNDP, the Ministry of Energy and ESCWA.
The seminar will be addressed to engineering and environmental health students to debate the impact of the land transportation sector on air pollution and climate change in Lebanon, and the proposed solutions to reduce environmental pollution from land transportation in Lebanon.
Tell us about your new partnership with UNDP.
The Center has recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the UNDP on sustainable and renewable energy and eco-driving. In the framework of the MOU, the UNDP and IPTEC will collaborate in several areas of common
interests including a joint lobbying and support for activities related to sustainable and renewable energy, the transportation sector and the oil and gas sector in Lebanon.
We will mainly work on the development of environmental and safety measures for gasoline stations and natural gas prospective stations, the improvement of the standards of fuel in Lebanon, the development of the concept of eco-driving, and the promotion of public transportation.
