Against the backdrop of the United Nations General Assembly, Total, which has just been recognized as Global Compact Lead by the United Nations, is committing to biodiversity by extending its ambition in four main areas.
Voluntary exclusion zones: Total commits, in recognition of the universal value of UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites, not to conduct oil or gas exploration or extraction operations in these areas. Total also commits not to conduct any oil exploration in the Arctic sea ice.
New projects: biodiversity action plans will be developed for any new site located in an area of interest for biodiversity, that is IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) Protected Areas I to IV and Ramsar areas. Moreover, the Group commits to implementing measures to produce a net positive impact on biodiversity for each new project located in an IUCN I or II area or Ramsar area.
Existing sites: on every existing environmentally significant site (Exploration & Production production sites, refineries, petrochemicals sites, gas-fired power stations) which is ISO14001 certified, a biodiversity action plan will be deployed. Total will report its deployment to the various stakeholders. When a site stops its operation, Total is also committing to considering the development of a dedicated area rich in biodiversity (e.g. rare species habitats, biodiversity sanctuaries, etc.) as one of the options for its rehabilitation.
Promotion of biodiversity: as part of Total Foundation’s Climate, Coastal and Oceans program, Total will support biodiversity-related awareness programs, youth education and research actions. Total also commits to sharing the biodiversity data collected as part of our environmental studies for Group projects with the scientific community and the general public.
"The planet’s rich biodiversity is under threat. Total’s inclusion of biodiversity goes back some time, but the current degradation of the environment is a reality that requires us all to make a major change, collectively and individually. For this reason, Total is now stepping up its biodiversity ambition and commitments, and this will contribute to the Group’s ambition to become the responsible energy major," announced Patrick Pouyanné, Total Chairman and CEO.
Total had adopted a biodiversity policy by 2005, to concretize the global recognition of these issues by the Group. In 2016, the Group pledged to contribute to realizing the Sustainable Development goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations, including those connected to biodiversity. In 2018, Total signed the act4nature initiative led by the French business association Association Française des Entreprises pour l’Environnement (EpE).