Presentation at the 2016 WOC Sustainable Ocean Summit

1. Application of the mitigation
hierarchy to address marine
biodiversity impacts
Jan-Willem van Bochove1, Samuel Walker2, Leon Bennun1, Eugenie Regan1, Mark Johnston3,
Robin Mitchell1
1 The Biodiversity Consultancy, Cambridge, United Kingdom
2 BP International plc, Houston, Texas, USA 3 BP International plc, Sunbury on Thames, UK
WOC Sustainable Ocean Summit
Rotterdam, 2 December 2016
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2. Increasing marine industrial development
2
Douglas Westwood 2013
GWEC 2015
FAO 2015
Oil & gas:
Marine
aquaculture:
Windfarms:

3. Increasing pressure on marine biodiversity
3
Selig et al. 2013

4. Growth of biodiversity laws and policies
Government drivers:
• CBD Aichi targets
• UNDP Sustainable
Development
Goals (SDGs):
4
The Biodiversity Consultancy, unpublished analysis, 2016 (subject to revision)

5. Rise in ‘no net loss’ and ‘net gain’ commitments
within industry
0
20
40
60
2000 2005 2010 2015
Numberofcompanies
Year
Extractives Other sectors
The Biodiversity Consultancy, unpublished analysis, 2016 (subject to revision)

6. Global Financial Institutions require ‘no
net loss’ for >$100billion/year
• World Bank ESS6 – c. $40 bn/yr
• IFC PS6 – c. $22 bn/yr
• IADB B9 – c. $14 bn/yr
• AfDB – $ 4 bn/yr
• EBRD PR6 – c. $10 bn/yr
• ADB – $21 bn/yr
• >85 institutions adopting Equator Principles

7. Application of the mitigation hierarchy
Cross Sector Biodiversity Initiative (CSBI) 2015

8. Increasing use of avoidance and
minimization through iterative
application of the mitigation hierarchy
CSBI 2015

9. Avoidance
Measures taken to anticipate
and prevent adverse impacts on
biodiversity before actions or
decisions are taken that could
lead to such impacts.
Types of avoidance:
• site selection to avoid areas
of high biodiversity value
• scheduling through changes
in the timing of project
activities
• project design by changing
the layout and type of project
infrastructure
TWD 2015

10. Minimization
Measures taken to reduce the
duration, intensity, significance
and/or extent of impacts that
cannot be completely avoided.
Types of minimization:
• Physical controls: project
infrastructure redesign.
• Abatement controls: taking
steps to reduce the levels of
pollutants
• Operational controls:
managing and regulating the
action of people associated
with the project
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11. Restoration
Measures taken to repair
degradation or damage to
specific biodiversity features
and ecosystem services
following project impacts
that cannot be completely
avoided and/or minimized.
• Active restoration
through revegetation
• Passive restoration
through natural
regeneration
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12. Offsets
• Averted loss or protection:
measures taken to prevent
ecological degradation
from occurring
• Restoration: active habitat
restoration or creation
projects
• Policy-based: supporting
changes in policy or
practice that have a
positive impact on target
species
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www.maasvlakte2.com

13. Key points
• Sustaining operations in a responsible manner
is critical to business resiliency.
• The mitigation hierarchy is increasingly
recognised by industry and governments as an
effective tool to limit negative impacts of
development projects on biodiversity.
• It provides businesses with valuable options in
addressing environmental issues and risks in
the marine environment.
• Helps support efficient delivery of projects and
continuity of operations.
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http://www.csbi.org.uk/tools-and-guidance/mitigation-hierarchy/