working in protected and sensitive areas

Under the 1992 Rio Convention on Biological Diversity, a protected area is “a geographically defined area which is designated or regulated and managed to achieve specific conservation objectives.” ExxonMobil’s environmental policy clearly states our commitment to recognize the existence of, and to comply with, all legal and regulatory requirements related to any protected area.  Further, our commitment to high standards of environmental responsibility in all aspects of our global operations extends to areas where legal and regulatory requirements are less well defined. In all areas, both with and without “protected” designations, our processes identify sensitivities and form the basis for practices that protect the environment.

ExxonMobil uses widely accepted and available guidelines and tools (such as those developed by the Energy and Biodiversity Initiative (EBI), Conservation International (CI), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and World Conservation Union (IUCN)) for biodiversity sensitivity screening in new geographical areas. Findings based on initial screenings are enhanced through local knowledge, site-specific investigations and risk assessments. These form the scientific basis for impact assessments and mitigation planning.