Biodiversity

Updating our biodiversity position

In May 2020, we updated our biodiversity position. This builds on and strengthens our existing approach. 

What we are going
to do

• We commit not to operate any new oil and gas exploration or production activities inside the boundary of officially inscribed UNESCO World Heritage sites; and inside the boundary of Strict Nature Reserves (International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN category Ia) or Wilderness Areas (IUCN category Ib)) as listed on 1 January 2020.
  
• We will aim to achieve a net positive impact on biodiversity in our new projects. 
• We will aim to enhance biodiversity around our existing major operating sites.
• We will support biodiversity restoration and the sustainable use of natural resources.

The biodiversity position provides additional information on each of these bullets.

Our existing approach to biodiversity

We assess our potential impacts on biodiversity when we plan new projects and we aim to avoid activities in sensitive areas. If activities are likely to take us into or close to an international protected area, we carry out a detailed risk assessment and require executive approval before any physical activities are undertaken. Through our recently updated group practice we set a requirement to achieve no net loss when undertaking new projects in sensitive areas, manage the risk of introducing invasive alien species, and avoid clearance of high carbon stock ecosystems.

No major operated project has entered an international protected area since 2006 and we have no existing operations or projects inside UNESCO World Heritage sites. No new requests to enter an international protected area were submitted in 2019.

For a full list of our major operating sites in or close to international protected areas see bp.com/protectedareas.

We review bp activities in or near protected areas each year and disclose where bp is operating. We also engage with others to make sure we keep up to speed with best practice, including conservation organizations such as Conservation International, Fauna & Flora International and the Nature Conservancy.

Working with others

We are working to establish partnerships with global conservation organizations to support the delivery of these activities and will continue to work with others to promote the need for action on biodiversity.

We have been integrating biodiversity into our practices and decision-making for over 15 years. We plan to strengthen this further as part of our wider strategic approach to sustainability and to periodically review this position. 

We will continue to work with governments, industry associations, and businesses including our suppliers and our joint ventures, to influence and promote collective action on biodiversity.

Our engagement with others includes:

• The Proteus Partnership with UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre.
• Our work with the World Business.
  Council for Sustainable Development.
• The Business for Nature Initiative.
• Business and biodiversity forums in the UK.
• Our collaborative partnership with Fauna & Flora International.

As Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) is a necessary component of meeting the Paris goals, we supported the establishment of the NCS Alliance and are a founding member. The Alliance aims to build stakeholder consensus to scale up NCS investment and advocate relevant national and international policies. We will also continue to apply strong environmental standards when investing in NCS, especially where there are potential benefits for carbon reduction, biodiversity and people.