As the 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment made clear, governments urgently need to find the right balance between development and nature conservation. The biggest problem is encroachment by farming and housing. However, energy production also plays a role, from the search for oil and gas in sensitive areas, to the extra land needed for energy infrastructure and, increasingly, for energy crops.

We were the first energy company to adopt a biodiversity standard. It requires us to respect protected sites, work with others to maintain ecosystems and seek partnerships to conserve biodiversity. We committed not to explore or develop for oil and natural gas in natural World Heritage Sites – more than 170 locations recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). We also committed to follow strict operating practices in places designated by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) as Category I–IV protected areas and in other areas of high biodiversity value. We are currently working on standards for sourcing biofuels for transport sustainably (see next page).

Turning commitments into action

Biodiversity checks are now included in the social and environmental impact assessments that are done at an early stage in our projects. Instructions for operating in areas of high biodiversity value are now included in our HSE Management System.

We also require operations in IUCN Category I–IV protected areas to have biodiversity action plans. These plans include measures to conserve or enhance local biodiversity and checks that these measures are implemented and effective. By early 2006, all these operations – in Brunei, the Netherlands, Nigeria (see below) and the USA – had plans in place. We aim to have similar plans in place for operations in other areas of high biodiversity value by the end of 2007.

However, plans are only as good as our ability to execute them. Spreading awareness and skills of biodiversity management to key project staff remains a priority. Our library of case studies, which was updated and expanded in 2006, is helping us do this. So is the biodiversity network, which shares examples of good practice between project teams. We are also developing training programmes on implementing biodiversity action plans.

Working with others

To support global biodiversity conservation and reduce biodiversity impacts around our operations, we work with (and learn from) more than 100 scientific and conservation organisations in 40 countries. Details of our work with some of these organisations is available on the web.