Repsol

Protecting biodiversity

Our company is aware of its role in the conservation of the planet's biological richness.

We have committed ourselves to design and carry out BAPs in UICN I-IV category areas and in other zones considered to be of high ecological value.

A few years ago, Repsol started to reflect on the strategic and management implications of biodiversity in order to find the necessary balance between best conservation practices and business success.

At Repsol, we give consideration to the specific characteristics of the environment where we operate to conserve and, if necessary, restore the natural environment. Our Position on biodiversity, approved by the Executive Committee in 2005, recognizes biodiversity as a strategic component and establishes the principles that regulate our activities in this regard. Protection of biodiversity was subsequently included in the Health, Safety and Environment Policy, approved in July 2006.

Furthermore, we have corporate standards that establish general guidelines for action on biodiversity during all operations. These include the obligation to determine the sensitivity of the area of influence, and to assess, in each project, whether to operate based on criteria such as sensitivity, the magnitude of potential impacts or the level of mitigation of the same.

We conduct operations in several deposits located in sensitive areas considered of high ecological value and areas classified as Class I - IV according to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Our commitment is to begin to design and implement Biodiversity Action Plans (BAP) in these areas.

Repsol is involved in the biodiversity working group IPIECA (International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association) and OGP (the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers), which aims to improve management of biodiversity impact in the oil and gas industry. In addition, the company continues to work in the Proteus project conducted by the United Nations Environmental Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) - whose main objective is the development of better tools for managing and reporting on all protected areas world wide.

We also work with our surroundings through agreements to promote research, conservation, education and awareness-raising in the field of biodiversity.