ConocoPhillips recognizes the importance of biodiversity in maintaining ecosystems’ health and as a vital factor in human well-being. Protecting plant and animal species and ecosystems, also known as biological diversity, or biodiversity, is an essential component of our health, safety, and environmental commitment wherever we operate. In the company's biodiversity position, we made a number of specific commitments designed to conserve biodiversity as part of our commitment to systematically reduce the effects of our activities on the environment.
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Biodiversity is a term used to capture the concept of the world’s biological richness and variability. Biodiversity includes all populations and species of plants, animals, and microbes that occur in nature and the interactions within and between these populations that contribute to ecosystem function. Ecosystem functions provide essential services that support human needs such as food, shelter, clothing, medicines, and fuel. Biodiversity can also have recreational, cultural, spiritual and aesthetic values.
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Our Approach
We are continuously building our knowledge about the ecosystems in which we work and recently completed an internal study to benchmark our performance compared to other extractive-industry companies. To increase internal awareness about biodiversity, a knowledge-sharing intranet site has been launched to foster employee collaboration within ConocoPhillips in the areas of biodiversity and ecosystems. We conducted industry benchmarking to explore better ways to collect and manage our biodiversity data. We are using a range of technologies, from improved animal tagging to streamlined databases. Employees are encouraged to ask questions about challenges they encounter in this area, and to share project ideas for technology development in the area of ecoystems and land use. The intranet site also provides such resources as global conferences and contacts to benefit its members.
- Integration of biodiversity conservation principles in our business management systems, considering all stages of the asset life cycle
- Development of Biodiversity Action Plans for projects located in areas of high conservation value
- Use of widely available and effective planning tools such as those developed by IPIECA, Energy and Biodiversity Initiative, and the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers to facilitate biodiversity conservation
- Adoption of a landscape-scale perspective which promotes habitat integrity and connectivity over a broader area than just our facility sites as important issues in land use decision making
- Consideration of targeted opportunities for habitat improvement, including projects for rehabilitation. The use of biodiversity offsets will be considered when appropriate.
- Collaboration with key stakeholders to increase capacity for biodiversity protection, internally and in related institutions and communities
- Linkage of biodiversity protection with GHG emissions reductions, where both goals can be met through integrated planning and action
Our Expectations
We follow widely accepted guidelines from the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA) and the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (OGP) in our approach to biodiversity conservation. As a member of the IPIECA biodiversity working group, we work to develop tools and materials to help companies across our industry enhance their biodiversity conservation activities. As a founding member of the OGP’s Sound and Marine Life program, we support continued research to increase scientific knowledge on the possible impact that sound produced by offshore exploration and production has on marine mammals, fish, turtles, seabirds, invertebrates and other marine life.
That in the fulfillment of our business strategy, we will serve as a positive example of how natural resource development can occur in harmony with society’s need to conserve biodiversity.