The Energy & Biodiversity Initiative
The Framework for Integrating Biodiversity into the Site Selection Process (the Framework) is designed to support companies in identifying and developing appropriate responses to managing new business ventures in areas of high biodiversity value. To ensure that biodiversity is addressed everywhere, regardless of the legal status or other protective status of the area in question, the Framework considers three categories – areas with legal protection, areas that have a high conservation priority without legal protection and the “rest of the world,” which may contain areas of high value yet to be identified. The Framework is part of a wider context of a complex and multi-layered decision-making process in which companies prioritize and evaluate risks according to a broad range of perspectives. A company may choose to terminate its interest in a new business opportunity in an area irrespective of the options indicated by the Framework.
Several principles have informed the design of the Framework:
- Biodiversity exists within and outside of Protected Areas (PAs).
- Biodiversity conservation is an integral element of sustainable development.
- Companies should respect the reason for which PAs have been established.
- Not all PAs are closed to industrial activity.
- Aggravated risks may result from operating within or near to a PA or Conservation Priority Area (CPA).
- Opportunities to benefit biodiversity may arise at oil and gas operations.
- Addressing biodiversity issues in PAs and CPAs, and any other area, has significant advantages for companies – e.g. reduced risks for shareholders, potentially improved access to capital, an easier path to obtaining and maintaining a license to operate, lower capital and operational costs and improved reputation management, etc.
- Benefits for companies of participating in or encouraging regional land use planning exercises may include early identification and diffusion of sensitive biodiversity-related issues; increased credibility with local stakeholders; and investment and project design decisions that fit existing plans for regional development.
As a means of simplifying the issues and options that confront a company, the Framework uses a flowchart based on seven key questions to first identify the extent of the biodiversity values in an area. Whether the area has been legally protected or not, the Framework assists with identifying the nature of the protection or priority associated with the area or, for areas that fall into the “rest of the world” category, the presence of previously unrecognized biodiversity issues and values.
