Biodiversity Management in an Oil and Gas Company: From Theory to Practice

摘要

Exploration and Production (E&P) activities take place across the globe. Environmental management is governed by national and regional laws and international standards, which draw red lines and establish management rules for emissions, wastewater and waste. Although international biodiversity management guidelines are in place, adherence in areas with high biodiversity value, either in terms of habitats or species, is complex and ALARP (As Low As Reasonable Practicable) impact targets are not easily established. A simple but effective approach, the Repsol Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Tool (BEST-R), has been developed to meet this challenge for all Repsol E&P activities and has been evaluated by applying this tool to 15 projects at 7 operating assets. The BEST-R is designed to evaluate 30 parameters (6 recommended practices, each of which impact on 5 key environmental aspects), describe these parameters in detail; set homogeneous mid-term goals, enable benchmarking between sites; and test the effectiveness of impact mitigation measures. In addition, the BEST-R adheres to the IPIECA Guidance document, "Biodiversity and ecosystem services fundamentals" good practices in the current environment for Oil and Gas companies. This approach for building a Corporate Biodiversity Strategy that integrates biodiversity into business management to turn challenges into successes could inspire other companies that operate in various countries and environments.