The principal purpose of this document is to offer

appropriate guidance on the integration of biodiversity

into an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment

(ESIA). As such, it contains neither a general review of

ESIAs, nor recommendations for the creation of a new

type of ESIA process, focusing instead on the steps and

actions necessary to accomplish the proper integration of

biodiversity. Underpinning these steps and actions is the

principle that, based on an appropriate risk assessment,

biodiversity should be integrated into each relevant stage

of the ESIA process by expanding the scope of analysis

to include biodiversity characteristics, evaluating

impacts holistically using a wider ecosystem approach as

recommended in the Convention on Biological Diversity

(CBD), and considering long-term and cumulative

secondary impacts in addition to more immediate,

primary impacts.

In some cases, the government rather than the

company may set the type and extent of ESIA. This

document is principally for use in situations where a

company controls the ESIA. However, it may also be

useful to companies providing input to a governmentled ESIA and to governments seeking to better integrate

biodiversity into their ESIA processes, particularly

in those countries that do not have strong ESIA

requirements, approval processes and mitigation

standards.

Suggestions are made for the integration of biodiversity

into seven key stages of the ESIA process:

• Identification of alternatives.

• Screening.

• Scoping.

• Baseline establishment.

• Evaluation (impact analysis).

• Development of mitigation options and

implementation.

• Monitoring and adaptation.

Stakeholder engagement and the estimation of secondary

and cumulative impacts are also considered, but as

principles that underpin the ESIA process rather than

as separate stages. There is a close relationship between

social impacts and environmental/biodiversity impacts

that must be accounted for when undertaking an ESIA.

Finally, the issue of divestiture is addressed: unless

appropriately planned for, the termination of company

operations may also result in a termination of valuable

or necessary biodiversity conservation activities. This

can have potentially significant adverse impacts on

biodiversity, as well as on company reputation, long after

termination of active oil and gas operations. Therefore,

companies should consider addressing biodiversity

issues at end point divestiture in their operational plans

and through ESIA procedures.