IOGP input to the consultation on the EU nature restoration plan

This paper provides IOGP’s input to the EU consultation on “Protecting biodiversity: nature restoration targets under EU biodiversity strategy“.

Context

IOGP, through the joint IPIECA-IOGP Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Working Group (BESWG) has been working for 20 years to continuously improve Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (BES) management with the oil and gas industry, including habitat conservation, restoration and (biodiversity) offsets.

We are ready to continue working with all the relevant stakeholders, sharing our technical knowledge, experience, good practices, and assist in the improvement of the EU nature restoration regulatory framework.

Key Points

• IOGP supports the proposal to establish legally binding EU nature restoration targets and an EU-wide legally binding methodology and provisions to map, assess and achieve a ‘good condition of ecosystems’
• A precise and clear definition of ‘good condition of ecosystems’ and how it can be reliably measured is absolutely necessary for all stakeholders
• Positive impacts on biodiversity conservation status through man-made infrastructure could also be considered in the revised EU regulatory framework. Empirical evidence is growing on the decommissioning of offshore man-made structures and their ecological benefits due
  to the construction of artificial reefs

• Introduction
• Clarity of definitions and methodologies
• Habitat conservation
• Final Remarks