Caring for our planet
Biodiversity
Our aim is to support biodiversity where we operatea.
We plan to deliver this by:
- Aiming to achieve net positive impact (NPI) on all new in-scopeb projects.
- Implementing biodiversity enhancement plans at our major operating sites.
- Collaborating with others to support selected biodiversity restoration projects.
Net positive impact in our projects
We have made consistent progress over the past few years to apply our net positive impact (NPI) methodology on new in-scope projects. By the end of 2024 seven of our projects were developing NPI plans.
To help projects develop effective plans, we provide guidance on the intent and details of the NPI methodology and help project teams to build the necessary capabilities to finalize and implement their plans.
In Trinidad, our pipeline replacement project is implementing its NPI plan, embarking on a restoration project to compensate for trees lost along the pipeline corridor. The project involves the potential to reforest between four and five hectares of land using a mixture of native tree species selected for their reforestation potential.
Biodiversity enhancement at our major operating sites
We aim to implement plans to enhance biodiversity at our major operating sites. In 2024 all our major operating sites located in biodiversity sensitive areas continued preparation work on biodiversity enhancement plans.
In August 2024 we issued guidance for our operating sites that included tangible examples of biodiversity enhancements that can be applied at and around sites.
Biodiversity restoration
We are supporting five projects, in the UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Türkiye, as well as running restoration feasibility studies in India and Georgia. These projects, which include the restoration of seagrass, coral reefs and forests, have already achieved some early success.
In addition to these ongoing projects, we plan to support three more restoration projects – in the US and Brazil – with work beginning in 2025.
Collaboration
We are involved in several cross-industry groups to learn from other organizations and promote the need for collective action on biodiversity, including:
- Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures Forum
- Joint IOGP/Ipieca Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services working Group and the UNEP-WCMC Proteus Partnership
- World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Nature Positive working group
- UK Business & Biodiversity Forum
Water
Our aim is to reduce our net freshwater use in stressed catchments where we operate.
We aim to deliver this by:
- Using freshwater more efficiently in our operations.
- Collaborating with others to replenish freshwater in stressed catchmentsc.
By 2028, we anticipate that our freshwater withdrawal in these catchments will be covered by freshwater management plans.
Using freshwater more efficiently in our operations
We saw a 15% fall in freshwater withdrawals (excluding once through cooling water) and a 17% fall in freshwater consumption, compared with our 2020 baselined. Reductions in 2024 were achieved through the use of non-freshwater sources in bpx energy Eagle Ford, US.
At our major operating sites, 11% (2023 73%) of our total freshwater withdrawals and 20% (2023 36%) of freshwater consumption, were from regions with high or extremely high water stress in 2024.
Progress towards water positive
In 2024 we worked on the implementation of water stewardship initiatives including making improvements in water efficiency at our operations and collaborations with other organizations to replenish water.
Improving water efficiency in 2024
We completed detailed, site-based water assessments at our refineries in Lingen, Germany, and Whiting, US. Both assessments helped us identify areas where we can create operational efficiencies in water consumption. We also implemented water efficiency initiatives at Lingen, Whiting and bpx energy Eagle Ford in the US. In addition, our Castrol business introduced water efficiency measures at its Silvassa manufacturing plant in India.
Collaborating to replenish fresh water
We measure the impact of our collaborations to replenish water by using volumetric water benefits accounting methods published by the WRI in 2019. We have seven collaborative projects underway in Azerbaijan, Mauritania and Senegal, Egypt and India – and in 2024 we signed up to support five new catchment collaboration projects, of which two are in India, two in Egypt and one in Azerbaijan.
Improving access to clean water in Azerbaijan
Together with our partner UMID (Support to Social Development Public Union), we have constructed a dedicated drinking water pipeline network that spans just over 18km to provide reliable access to safe drinking water in Chohranli village in the Kurdamir district of Azerbaijan. More than 1,200 people in more than 300 households have benefitted. This project was part of a wider initiative for community-based solutions to irrigation and drinking water supply developed by UMID and supported by bp.
Footnotes:
a At our new in-scope bp operated projects and major operating sites.
b New bp operated in-scope projects where planned activities have the potential for significant direct impacts on biodiversity are required to develop NPI action plans for those activities.
cThe threshold bp uses for stress is based on a water stress level of ‘high’ or above, as defined by the WRI Aqueduct Water Atlas. bp determines areas of water stress using either the WRI Aqueduct Water Atlas or site-specific local data sources.
d The restated 2020 baseline for freshwater withdrawal is 96.4 million m3 per year and for freshwater consumption is 55.9 million m3 per year.