[Editor’s Note: On Sept. 18 & 19 BCLC will host its annual Global Corporate Citizenship Conference at the U.S. Chamber headquarters. The conference and its corresponding report, Development 2.0: Changing the Way Globalization Works, will focus on factors that affect global development. The following article, an excerpt from the report, provides an example of those factors.]

Biological diversity provides a variety of economic, ecological, cultural, and esthetic benefits to society, while also supplying food, clothing, shelter, fuel, and medicine.

To recognize the value of diversity in ecosystems, Chevron requires biodiversity assessments of new capital projects and the inclusion of biodiversity conservation in its management system.

These assessments have resulted in cross-sectoral partnerships around the world to protect ecosystems, species, and genes, as well as the ecological processes that support them.

From protecting sea turtles to helping restore natural forests on former ranch lands, Chevron makes a positive contribution to biodiversity conservation in areas where we operate.

Sea turtles face threats in several areas where Chevron operates. In Indonesia, a sea turtle egg can sell for $17, significantly above the daily income for half the population.  Working with partners including the Nature Conservancy, Chevron protects turtles from poaching through education, monitoring, and sustainable livelihood programs.

In Australia, Chevron ecologists are monitoring the Flatback sea turtle to mitigate the impact of any future operations on Barrow Island, a nature preserve where Chevron has been operating since 1964.

With the Wildlife Conservation Society in Angola, Chevron has launched a public-outreach campaign to educate local fisherman, children, and villagers on sea turtle biology and conservation.

In Indonesia, Chevron’s Salak geothermal field is located in the Gunung Halimun Salak National Park, known for its diversity of plants and animals. Working with the park staff, the Wildlife Trust, and the Center for Conservation and Insect Studies, Chevron has helped to protect forests and wildlife while promoting sustainable farming and collecting data on the biodiversity of insect populations.

With the Nigerian Conservation Center, Chevron developed the Lekki Conservation Center in 1992. The center preserves local flora and fauna, with lookouts and paths to provide educational opportunities to thousands of school children, as well as environmental research opportunities. The animal population includes mona monkeys, bush bucks, maxwell duikers, tree pangolin, mongooses, and the red-headed agama.

Chevron has contributed biodiversity data to Project SERPENT, a project using remotely operated vehicle technology to make biodiversity data more accessible and to share knowledge in the scientific community. Remotely operated vehicles that are used during underwater drilling are mounted with high-resolution camera systems to provide rare images of deepwater fish species. Chevron’s operations in Europe and the Gulf of Mexico are also involved in the SERPENT project.

Since 2001, Chevron, The Nature Conservancy, and the Society for Wildlife Research and Environmental Education have been growing seedlings of native species to reforest former ranch land near Antonina in Paraná, Brazil.

Tam Nguyen is global issues and policy Advisor at Chevron.