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Towards a net positive impact
Jun 28, 2024
Mitigation hierarchy
Colombia is a country recognized as a megadiverse territory where complexity, fragility and biological diversity are interwoven with a dynamic and complex social, economic and political history and present, which have boosted 5 major drivers of biodiversity loss, which are described below (Sustainable Development Goals Center for Latin America, 2019):
- Land use change refers to the transformation of natural ecosystems by agriculture, deforestation, and urbanization. It is important to acknowledge that 40% of the country's surface has undergone a severe transformation.
- Direct overexploitation of species: it is the depletion of wild fauna and flora that is used as a natural resource, in fisheries, forest use, and collection of wild products.
- Biological invasions: are produced by the introduction of wild or domesticated species in spaces outside their original distribution. They produce devastating effects on islands, and fragile ecosystems, and threaten to homogenize the flora and fauna around the world.
- Water and soil pollution: occurs through the dumping of polluting substances or those that alter the natural conditions of ecosystems; they can generate local and regional impacts on biodiversity that would contribute to the global collapse of populations and species.
- Climate change: Climate stresses on ecological systems are already observed, with regards to changes in the distribution or integrity of populations of fauna and flora. If it continues, climate change could become the main driver of biodiversity loss, as it triggers other direct drivers.
To avoid, minimize, recover, restore, and compensate for these impacts, the company is carrying out processes for biodiversity and ecosystem services management aimed at generating the least amount and magnitude of residual impacts. The latter is based on the implementation of the mitigation hierarchy. For this, the Mitigation Hierarchy is incorporated from the planning of Projects and Operations.
This hierarchy refers to the sequence of measures designed to manage the negative impacts of a project in search of a net non-loss of biodiversity and must be applied for decision-making in the planning and design phases.
Significant impacts on biodiversity
Hydrocarbon activity in Colombia is held under an environmental zoning process that applies the mitigation hierarchy, avoiding, minimizing, and correcting impacts on biodiversity, and compensating only for residual impacts.
The main activities carried out in Ecopetrol's operations that may generate impacts on biodiversity are:
- The construction of platforms, operation fields and transportation infrastructure
- Use of substances that do not occur naturally
- Planned forest harvesting as part of maintenance, adaptation or construction of facilities
The main impacts that the Company's operations may have on biodiversity are:
- Land use change
- Habitat transformation
- Contamination
Area of influence
According to the Sole Regulatory Decree of the Environment and Sustainable Development Sector (Decree 1076 of 2015): The area of influence is that in which the significant environmental impacts caused by the implementation of a project, work or activity, on the biotic, biotic and socioeconomic environments, in each of the components of these environments, are manifested in an objective and as far as possible quantifiable manner. Its identification and delimitation is closely linked to the environmental characterization. It should be noted that this area is larger than the areas of possible intervention of the projects, works or activities, given that its delimitation depends on the expansion of the impact and not on the operational area.
For more information on Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), please refer to: Compliance and engagement section.
All impacts on biodiversity are reversible and the company has as a guideline to intervene in transformed areas. In 2023, a total of 4.36 ha were intervened and 446 m3 of timber was harvested.
The residual impacts of the interventions carried out by Ecopetrol are subject to environmental compensation through the implementation of conservation or restoration projects through the actions, modes, mechanisms, amounts and forms enabled in each environmental management instrument.
There were no impacts related to the introduction of invasive species, pests and pathogens, species reduction, habitat transformation, or changes in ecological processes outside the natural range of variation (such as salinity or changes in the water table).
Progress status recovery plan - Lisama 158
With regards to the 2018 event known as Lisama 158, the environmental recovery plan presents an implementation rate of 98.7%.
Fauna
- 2.400 reincorporated fauna individuals
- 135 habists and 34 micro-habitats were built
Flora
- 29.1 (ha) are in the process of rehabilitation
- 17.627 seedlings were planted (29.1 ha)
- 5.663 seedlings were planted · Zona Uno
- 3 transitory vivariums were built
- Currently 1 vivarium in operation
- Start of vegetation rehabilitation process of 128.48 hectares
Water
- 227.226m above the La Muerte stream and La Lizama creek were intervened with hydrowashing
Soil
- 18 defense works dismantled and reconstituted
- Reformed outcrop zone
Social
- 44 environmental trainings
- 1 Diplomado in Ecological rehabilitation and monitoring
- 11 tripartite dialogues
- 10 meetings with artisanal fishers
- 30 space for relations with authorities
- Design and implementation of communications strategy
Monitoring
- 16 physicochemical and hydrobiological monitoring events
- 5.472 samples analyzed (water, soil, air, sediments and others)
- 18 monitoring events on the wildlife
- 15 monitoring events on the flora
Biodiversity
- 1 Evaluation of the current ecological condition of the system
- 2 Monitoring events for biodiversity and ecosystem services were implemented
- Declaration La Tayra Lizama Ecoreserve of 6.88 hectares as part of Ecopetrol's Ecoreserve Network for biodiversity and ecosystem services conservation
The species affected in 2023 are reported below according to the IUCN:
|
Fauna - IUCN Status |
Species |
Individuals |
|
Vulnerable (VU) |
Corydoras metae |
2 |
|
Corydoras simulatus |
9 |
|
|
Near Threatened (NT) |
Apistogramma macmasteri |
74 |
|
Least Concern (LC) |
Hoplias malabaricus |
145 |
|
Aequidens metae |
109 |
|
|
Ancistrus triradiatus |
73 |
|
|
Astyanax bimaculatus |
92 |
|
|
Astyanax integer |
132 |
|
|
Bryconops giacopini |
4 |
|
|
Bujurquina mariae |
20 |
|
|
Bunocephalus aloikae |
1 |
|
|
Characidium steindachneri |
9 |
|
|
Charax metae |
1 |
|
|
Corydoras melanotaenia |
114 |
|
|
Creagrutus taphorni |
5 |
|
|
Crenicichla geayi |
22 |
|
|
Duringlanis romani |
2 |
|
|
Farlowella vittata |
9 |
|
|
Gephyrocharax valencia |
1 |
|
|
Gymnotus carapo |
28 |
|
|
Hemibrycon loisae |
7 |
|
|
Hemibrycon metae |
10 |
|
|
Hemigrammus barrigonae |
103 |
|
|
Hoplerythrinus unitaeniatus |
8 |
|
|
Hyphessobrycon metae |
2 |
|
|
Imparfinis microps |
15 |
|
|
Megalechis picta |
1 |
|
|
Moenkhausia oligolepis |
59 |
|
|
Nemuroglanis mariai |
1 |
|
|
Otocinclus vittatus |
2 |
|
|
Pimelodella metae |
34 |
|
|
Pyrrhulina lugubris |
9 |
|
|
Rhamdia laukidi |
40 |
|
|
Rineloricaria eigenmanni |
20 |
|
|
Sternopygus macrurus |
20 |
|
|
Synbranchus marmoratus |
16 |
|
|
Caiman Crocodilus sp. |
1 |
|
|
Hydrochoerus sp. |
3 |
|
|
Iguana sp. |
3 |
|
|
Total of individuals |
1.206 |
|
|
Total of species |
39 |
|
Operations in areas of high biodiversity value (Exposure and Assessment)
Ecopetrol S.A. currently operates in 101 sites with a total licensed area of 697,415 ha. Of these, 210,810 ha correspond to the company's direct production fields. In all of these areas, biodiversity impact assessments have been conducted in accordance with the parameters established by the competent environmental authority.
Map of licensed areas with operational fields.
Source: Ecopetrol S.A., Environmental and Engagement Management, and Sustainability and Decarbonization Management.
Ecopetrol S.A. declares that it does not have, nor does it plan to intervene with exploration, production or refining activities in areas of great value for biodiversity classified according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature - IUCN in categories I to IV.
Similarly, Ecopetrol has no projects or operations in areas declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, nor does it plan to intervene in this type of areas. The above is evidenced below:
Map of licensed areas with operational fields and IUCN category I to IV protection areas.
Source: Ecopetrol S.A., Environmental and Engagement Management, and Sustainability and Decarbonization Management.
Ecopetrol operates in 4 assets that are located in proximity to two Protected Areas, known as Regional Integrated Management Districts (DRMI) - equivalent to category VI of the IUCN, named La Ciénaga San Silvestre and La Serranía de los Yariguíes located in the department of Santander, this category contemplates the sustainable use of natural resources. Ecopetrol operates legally in these four production assets, which were declared by regional authorities 50 years after the company began operations in the area.
Source: Ecopetrol S.A., Sustainability and Decarbonization Management.
Regional Integrated Management Districts (DRMI)
| Regional Integrated Management District - DRMI | Year of Declaratory | AP Area* (Km2) | Ecopetrol Project | Operation Size (Km2) | Ecopetrol’s start of operation year | Type of Operation | Percentage of the Operation within the PA (%) | Percentage of the Operation in the PA exclusion zones (%) | Percentage of the operation within the PA without the exclusion zones (%) | Production area within the AP |
| San Silvestre | 2006 | 699,63 | Center | 771,11 | 1951 | Production | 14% | 9% | 5% | 36,32 |
| The Cira | 189,37 | Production | 21% | 10% | 11% | 20,09 | ||||
| Lisama | 158,13 | Production | 42% | 22% | 20% | 31,56 | ||||
| Llanito | 110,95 | Production | 8% | 3% | 5% | 5,18 | ||||
| Serranía de los Yariguíes | 2005 | 4.189,51 | Center | 771,11 | 1951 | Production | 4% | 1% | 3% | 20,20 |
| Lisama | 158,13 | Production | 58% | 8% | 50% | 78,37 | ||||
| Total km2 | 1.229,56 | Total km2 | 191.72 | |||||||
| Total ha | 122.956 | Total ha | 19,172 | |||||||
Ecopetrol's main regional impacts
The main impacts caused by Ecopetrol in each of the regional areas in which it operates are presented below.
|
Regional Operation Area |
Orinoquía DAO - VRO |
Andina Oriente DAA - VAO |
Refining and Caribe DRI |
Exploration VEX |
Drilling and Piedemonte DPI - VPI |
Central DAC - VRC |
|
Impacts on areas |
||||||
|
Changes in ecological processes |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
|
Construction or use of transport facilities and infrastructure |
- |
- |
- |
Construction of locations |
- |
- |
|
Extent of impacted areas (ha) |
- |
- |
- |
4.36 |
- |
- |
|
Impact reversibility |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
|
Impacts on species |
||||||
|
Introduction of invasive species, pests and pathogens |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
|
Species reduction |
Ecopetrol does not generate species reduction in its areas of influence because its operational activities only affect individuals and do not affect the population. |
|||||
|
Number of Species affected by forest harvesting |
130 species |
|||||
|
Volume of timber harvested (m3) |
48.913 |
91.115 |
42.555 |
4.32 |
20.269 |
238.818 |
|
Impact reversibility |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
Strategy for environmental compensation and 1% investment
In compliance with the obligations of environmental compensation and investment of not less than 1% for the use of water from natural sources, Ecopetrol S.A seeks the conservation of biodiversity, its ecosystem services and natural capital in prioritized areas by the company through different actions that involve i) the signing of voluntary conservation agreements with local communities, ii) purchase of land in strategic conservation areas, iii) ecological restoration, among other actions.
Currently, the conservation agreements are the most widely implemented in the company and seeks, in addition to conserving, promoting the sustainable use of biodiversity and other natural resources through incentives such as agroforestry systems, silvopastorals, ecological gardens, eco-efficient stoves and wood energy orchards and more. These actions promote the reduction of tensioners in each of the properties where they are implemented.
Actions implemented under voluntary conservation agreements.In turn, the conservation agreements seek to accompany the participant in the planning of their property through a participatory and concerted design, where an area is established for conservation.
Source: Ecopetrol S.A., Sustainability and Decarbonization Management.
This strategy seeks to generate positive impacts on biodiversity at the landscape scale through the implementation of Voluntary Conservation Agreements and other actions and to enhance the conservation of natural capital in the territories.
Source: Ecopetrol S.A., Sustainability and Decarbonization Management.
Management of impacts from environmental compliance
Regarding the management in the prevention, mitigation and correction of potential impacts on biodiversity, the following actions are highlighted:
- 198 feasibility diagnoses in the planning stage of the projects in which the principle of mitigation hierarchy was applied.
- 21 Environmental studies for the different exploratory and production projects within which the biotic characterization of the areas of influence was included.
- 109 environmental management sheets associated with the preservation of vegetation cover and the protection of biodiversity.
- 71 plots of arboreal flora and 129 records of flora and epiphyte samples were taken.
- 239 wildlife samples.
- 577 hydrobiological sampling points.
For more information, see: Compliance and engagement section.
Among the most important results in biodiversity conservation with mandatory investments by 2022 are the following:
To discover how we comply with the mandatory investments, see the Compliance to biodiversity offsets and 1% investment* requirements section.
Opportunities and risks associated with natural capital
Water is a vital resource for Ecopetrol, as well as for the environment in which it operates. That is why, in 2021, the Roadmap for Integral Water Management was established, seeking that the company is water neutral or even water positive by 2045. For more information, see the Climate action section and Towards water neutrality.
Ecopetrol advances in actions of conservation of natural capital and biodiversity, through voluntary efforts and the fulfillment of obligations of environmental compensation and investment of 1%, which contribute to the conservation and monitoring of water resources. For more information, see the Compliance to biodiversity offsets and 1% investment* requirements section.
The circular economy is an enabler of the goals in energy transition, net zero carbon emissions, reduction of the water footprint, closure of material and waste cycles, management of natural capital. Ecopetrol boosts the latter as it contributes with opportunities for growth, innovation, employment generation and conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. For more information, see the Circular economy section.
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