Leading energy companies increasingly perceive the value of integrating biodiversity conservation into upstream oil and gas development. To develop and promote biodiversity conservation practices for meeting this goal, several of these companies have joined with leading conservation organizations to form the Energy & Biodiversity Initiative (EBI), a partnership designed to produce practical guidelines, tools and models to improve the environmental performance of energy operations, minimize harm to biodiversity, and maximize opportunities for conservation wherever oil and gas resources are developed.
During the past two and a half years, the EBI member organizations have met as a group 9 times and worked together to produce the products on this website. In addition, the group has consulted with key stakeholders from industry, academia, and the environmental community. In particular, a Consultative Workshop was held in January 2002 to solicit input from these constituencies. The next step of the EBI is to explore possibilities to test, refine, and promote the guidelines and recommendations outlined in the report with various stakeholders.
The EBI products on this website are intended for use by energy companies, and will also be useful for conservation organizations, governments, communities and others with an interest in ensuring the effective integration of biodiversity considerations into oil and gas exploration and development.
The Energy and Biodiversity Initiative (EBI) Report and its accompanying products provide guidance for integrating biodiversity conservation into upstream oil and gas development. |
The EBI is currently exploring possibilities for testing and refining the guidelines and conclusions outlined in the report, as well as identifying other opportunities to promote the integration of biodiversity conservation into oil and gas companies' corporate decision-making, operations and management systems. We will be working closely with the Biodiversity Working Group jointly established by two global industry trade associations, the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA) and the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (OGP) during this exploration phase. In addition, the EBI will participate in the IUCN convened Working Group on Extractive Industries and Biodiversity and seek the guidance from experts in the NGO sector.
The EBI will also be exploring opportunities with other interested organizations to further test, refine, and promote these products. Updates on this process will be posted on this website as they become available.