MB6: Proteus Partnership: mainstreaming biodiversity information in the extractives sector

Date: Friday October 12, 2018

Location: Valtuustosali, City Hall

Time: 8:30-10:00

There is a need to improve biodiversity data, knowledge and decision making by increasing the capacity to develop innovative partnerships that involve a variety of Arctic stakeholders. Increasingly the private sector is an important actor to respond to biodiversity challenges, while contributing to better biodiversity data for use by all. Through the Proteus Partnership companies in the extractives industry provide financial support for the collation and maintenance of key global biodiversity spatial datasets. Beyond the important financial support to biodiversity data, Proteus provides a platform which brings companies together with the conservation community to share knowledge and good practice, develop capacity, and place biodiversity data into real-world contexts. Encouraging scientific, policy, NGO, academia and industry audiences to interact and providing the opportunity to communicate and collaborate around key Arctic biodiversity issues is critical, as outlined in the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment recommendations. Partnership development, particularly with industry, can result in innovative solutions and more advanced responsibility for protecting critical biodiversity. This session will facilitate inter-disciplinary discussion on the opportunities provided by innovative partnerships such as Proteus to mainstream biodiversity into private sector operations, and will consider how this model of collaboration can be further developed in the Arctic.

 

Chair: Neville Ash, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC)

Format: Series of presentations followed by discussion

Presenters:

  1. Improving global data and strengthening business approaches for biodiversity management: Matt Jones, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) pdf
  2. Biodiversity data in decision making, how global data support businesses: Melania Buffagni, Eni pdf
  3. How to increase our knowledge on biodiversity in an area prone for development? Jürgen Weissenberger, Equinor pdf
  4. Facilitated discussion: Lessons for data sharing and the way forwards: Neville Ash, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) 

 

Abstracts:

Improving global data and strengthening business approaches for biodiversity management

Matt Jones, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC)

Since 2003, Proteus has been a collaborative vehicle through which UN Environment's specialist biodiversity assessment arm (UNEP-WCMC) has worked with leading members of the extractives sector to improve access to biodiversity data, knowledge and strengthen business approaches to biodiversity management. Through the Proteus Partnership companies provide financial support for the collation and maintenance of key global biodiversity spatial datasets. Beyond the important financial support to biodiversity data, Proteus provides a platform which brings companies together with the conservation community to share knowledge and good practice, develop capacity, and place biodiversity data into real-world contexts.

 

Biodiversity data in decision making, how global data support businesses

Melania Buffagni, Eni, with input from ExxonMobil, Shell, Equinor

Global biodiversity data allow companies to create consistent approaches to biodiversity issues within their management systems and operations, making it easier to adopt good practices on biodiversity impact mitigation. Lessons from the application of global biodiversity data and tools, such as the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool, in company risk assessments and along the asset lifecycle are highly relevant in any environmental context, including the Arctic. Practical examples from the application of biodiversity mitigation approaches based on global data show how these challenges can be faced, particularly in data-poor and under-studied areas. There are clear opportunities to improve global data so that they can be applied in an operational context and support the application of the mitigation hierarchy.

 

How to increase our knowledge on biodiversity in an area prone for development?

Jürgen Weissenberger, Equinor

Exact knowledge on species presence is a prerequisite for thorough risk assessment of any anthropogenic activity in general and industrial development. Information on species presence for all taxonomic groups is primarily obtained from site visits. Experts visit the area and make observations and take and analyses samples. In recent times additional methods have been added to collect information, e.g. aerial surveys with unmanned vehicles, remote sensing and tracking of mammals and birds that are equipped with satellite tags. The Arctic includes many regions where access is difficult due to remoteness and harsh weather conditions, thus limiting the information we have available. Some areas like Chukchi Sea and Barents Sea have been in focus for intense survey activities giving us a wealth of knowledge. Understanding the reasons why a species is found on a specific site at a specific time allows us to infer species presence data for places or times where no field data exists, as well as to make predictions for new situations, e.g. reduced presence of ice or changed water temperatures. The (Marine Animal Ranging Assessment Model Barents Sea) MARAMBS project uses available observation data for marine mammals and sea birds in the Barents Sea and correlates those with other factors, such as water temperature, salinity, distance to land to create habitat maps. An additional computational layer mimics the behaviour of this highly mobile animals, swimming, flying, migrating, resting and more. This so-called agent based modelling allows us to assess species presence on a dynamic environment with changeable conditions for ocean currents and weather. The paper will show examples of this modelling effort currently done by the MARAMBS project that is financed by the Norwegian research foundation and a group of oil companies.