Jun 28, 2024
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 influence ecosystems to face at least 5 major drivers of biodiversity loss, which are described below (Sustainable Development Goals Center for Latin America, 2019):
To avoid, minimize, recover, restore, and offset these impacts, the company implements biodiversity and ecosystem services management processes aimed at generating the lowest amount and magnitude of residual impacts, based on the implementation of the mitigation hierarchy. To this end, the Mitigation Hierarchy is incorporated into project and operations planning.
Following the mitigation hierarchy, the Company harmonizes its activities around land use planning and environmental determinants by implementing environmental zoning as a measure to prevent negative impacts on biodiversity, complemented by mitigation, correction, and compensation measures. Residual impacts are offset by biodiversity preservation, restoration, and sustainable use actions implemented through conservation agreements with local communities, the purchase of land for conservation and restoration, and other measures. This is aligned with the company's principles of prevention and no net loss of biodiversity.
The mitigation hierarchy also prevents large-scale impacts and potential human rights impacts. In cases where direct impacts are identified, the Company activates the corporate prior consultation protocol, as established by the National Prior Consultation Authority of the Ministry of the Interior.
The Company manages these impacts and dependencies through four (4) axes:
Mitigation hierarchy and conceptualization of the conservation hierarchy.
Nature-based solutions, including Natural Climate Solutions strategies.
Knowledge generation through research and education on biodiversity.
Biodiversity Culture.
This hierarchy refers to the sequence of measures designed to manage the negative impacts of a project, work, or activity, in pursuit of no net loss of biodiversity, and should be applied to decision-making in the planning and design of this project.
In a complementary manner, progress is being made in the conceptualization of the Conservation Hierarchy, which goes beyond the mitigation of direct negative impacts to encompass any activity that affects nature. Conservation actions to address the loss of historical biodiversity from a voluntary perspective imply the same four-step framework for conservation actions: avoid/minimize/remediate/compensate in relation to the four R's: Restrain/Reduce/Restore/Renew:
Adapted from: One Earth
Four Steps for the Earth: mainstreaming the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.
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 main impacts that the Company's operations may have on biodiversity are:
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 2024, a total of 2.9 ha were intervened and 3.073 m3 of wood were 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).
With regards to the 2018 event known as Lisama 158, the environmental recovery plan presents an implementation rate of 99%.
Fauna
Flora
Water
Soil
Social
Monitoring
Biodiversity
The species affected in 2024 are reported below according to the IUCN:
IUCN Status - Fauna |
Species |
Individuals |
---|---|---|
Preocupación menor (LC) |
Caiman crocodilus |
2 |
Iguana iguana |
1 |
|
Total number of individuals | 3 | |
Total species | 2 |
IUCN Status - Flora | Species |
---|---|
Threatened (EN) | Mimosa trianae |
Near Threatened (NT) | Rudgea crassifolia Zappi & E.Lucas |
Least Concern (LC) | Acacia mangium |
Acrocomia aculeata | |
Albizia carbonaria | |
Albizia guachapele | |
Albizia saman | |
Amaioua colombianum | |
Amaioua guianensis | |
Anacardium excelsum | |
Anadenanthera peregrina | |
Astronium graveolens | |
Bauhinia picta | |
Bellucia grossularioides | |
Bellucia pentamera | |
Byrsonima crassifolia | |
Calliandra pittieri | |
Calophyllum brasiliense | |
Caraipa llanorum | |
Cassia ferruginea | |
Cassia fistula | |
Cassia grandis | |
Cassia simanea | |
Cecropia angustifolia | |
Cecropia engleriana | |
Cecropia peltata | |
Ceiba pentandra | |
Ceiba penthandra | |
Chrysophyllum caimito | |
Citharexylum poeppigii | |
Clusia insignis | |
Coccoloba caracasana | |
Cochlospermum orinocense | |
Copaifera pubiflora | |
Cordia bicolor | |
Cordia gerascanthus | |
Cordia tetrandra | |
Crateva tapia | |
Crescentia cujete | |
Croton cupreatus | |
Cupania cinerea | |
Cupania latifolia | |
Curatella americana | |
Dialium guianensis | |
Didymopanax morototoni | |
Elaeis guineensis | |
Enterolobium cyclocarpum | |
Erythrina fusca | |
Eschweilera coriacea | |
Ficus benjamina | |
Ficus citrifolia | |
Ficus elastica | |
Ficus insipida | |
Ficus maxima | |
Ficus nymphaeifolia | |
Ficus pallida | |
Ficus pertusa | |
Genipa americana | |
Gliricidia sepium | |
Guadua angustifolia | |
Guarea guidonia | |
Guatteria amplifolia | |
Guazuma ulmifolia | |
Handroanthus guayacan | |
Heliocarpus americanus | |
Hevea brasiliensis | |
Hirtella elongata | |
Hura crepitans | |
Hymenea courbaril L. | |
Indeterminado | |
Inga edulis | |
Inga ornata | |
Inga spectabilis | |
Inga spuria | |
Jacaranda caucana | |
Jacaranda copaia | |
Laurus nobilis | |
Luehea seemannii | |
Mabea paniculata | |
Machaerium capote | |
Maclura tinctoria | |
Malpighia glabra | |
Maprounea guianensis | |
Matayba elegans | |
Matayba guianensis | |
Melicocca bijuga | |
Miconia dolichorrhyncha. | |
Miconia splendens | |
Muntingia calabura | |
Myrcia popayanensis | |
Myrcia splendens | |
Myrsine guianensis | |
Nectandra cuspidata | |
Ochroma pyramidale | |
Ocotea longifolia | |
Oliganthes discolor | |
Oryctanthus alveolatus | |
Oxandra venezuelana | |
Parkia pendula | |
Peltogyne purpurea | |
Phyllanthus attenuatus | |
Piptadenia pteroclada | |
Pithecellobium dulce | |
Protium heptaphyllum | |
Pseudobombax septenatum | |
Pseudomalmea diclina | |
Pseudosamanea guachapele | |
Psidium guajava | |
Quadrella odoratissima | |
Samanea saman | |
Sapium glandulosu | |
Sapium glandulosum | |
Sapium laurifolium | |
Sapium marmiere | |
Schefflera morototoni | |
Schinus latifolius | |
Schizolobium parahyba | |
Schizolobium parahybum | |
Senegalia polyphylla | |
Senna reticulata | |
Senna siamea | |
Siparuna aspera | |
Solanum crinitum | |
Spondias mombin | |
Sterculia apetala | |
Syzygium jambos | |
Tabebuia rosea | |
Tabernaemontana cymosa | |
Tapirira guianensis | |
Terminalia amazonia | |
Terminalia catappa | |
Trema micrantha | |
Trichilia elegans | |
Triplaris americana | |
Tterminalia oblonga | |
Vismia baccifera | |
Vismia guianensis | |
Vismia macrophylla | |
Vitex capitata | |
Vitex cymosa | |
Xylopia aromatica | |
Xylopia ligustrifolia | |
Xylopia polyantha | |
Zanthoxylum rhoifolium | |
Zygia longifolia | |
Guarea trichilioides | |
Insufficient data (DD) | Manguifera indica |
Not evaluated (NA) | Attalea insignis |
Centrolobium paraense | |
Citrus limon | |
Cordia viridis. | |
Croton lechleri | |
Erythrina poeppigiana | |
Gmelina arborea | |
Leucaena leucocephala | |
Licania tomentosa | |
Oryctanthus alveolatus | |
Pollalesta niceforoi | |
Rollinia edulis | |
Trichilia pallida | |
Vulnerable (VU) | Cedrela odorata |
Handroanthus chrysanthus | |
Total species | 162 |
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.
Total area of Ecopetrol's assets
Map of licensed areas with operational fields.
Source: Ecopetrol S.A., Environmental Management Department
Ecopetrol SA declares that it does not have, nor does it plan to engage in, exploration, production, or refining activities in areas of high biodiversity value classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as categories I to IV.
Likewise, Ecopetrol has no projects or operations in areas declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, nor does it plan to intervene in these areas.
IUCN protected areas and Ecopetrol licensed areas
.Map of licensed areas with operational fields and IUCN category I to IV protection areas.
Source: Ecopetrol SA, Environmental Management Department
Ecopetrol operates four assets located near two Protected Areas, known as Integrated Management Regional Districts (IMRDs)—equivalent to IUCN Category VI—named La Ciénaga San Silvestre and La Serranía de los Yariguíes, in the department of Santander. The IMRDs contemplate the sustainable use of natural resources. Ecopetrol legally operates these four production assets, which were declared by regional authorities 50 years after the company began operations in the area.
Areas of Ecopetrol's assets in DRMI in the Central Region
Source: Ecopetrol S.A. Environmental Management Department
Regional Integrated Management Districts (DRMI)
Operations center | Description | Type | Geographic location | Position with respect to the protected area | Subsurface and underground lands | Type of operation | Size in km2 | Attributes of the protected area or zone of great value | Appears on lists of protected character |
1 | APE NUEVO MUNDO | Direct operation | San Vicente de Chucurí | Field within the protected area | Yes | PRODUCTION | 4,3 | Yariguíes Mountains Regional Integrated Management District | Yes, IUCN Category VI |
2 | AREA DE DESARROLLO PAUTO | Direct operation | Yopal | Protected area within the field | Yes | PRODUCTION | 0,18 | La Primavera Civil Society Nature Reserve | Yes, IUCN Category VI |
3 | CAMPO CASABE PEÑAS BLANCAS | Direct operation | Yondó | Protected area within the field | Yes | PRODUCTION | 0,07 | La Esperanza Civil Society Nature Reserve | Yes, IUCN Category VI |
4 | CAMPO QUEBRADA ROJA | Direct operation | Barrancabermeja | Field within the protected area | Yes | PRODUCTION | 1,89 | San Silvestre Wetland Integrated Management Regional District | Yes, IUCN Category VI |
5 | CAMPO TIBÚ | Direct operation | Yopal | Protected area within the field | Yes | PRODUCTION | 0,11 | Gualanday Civil Society Nature Reserve | Yes, IUCN Category VI |
6 | LCI | Direct operation | Barrancabermeja | Field intersects with the boundaries of the protected area | Yes | PRODUCTION | 8,58 | San Silvestre Wetland Integrated Management Regional District | Yes, IUCN Category VI |
7 | CENTRO | Direct operation | Barrancabermeja | Field intersects with the boundaries of the protected area | Yes | PRODUCTION | 1,18 | San Silvestre Wetland Integrated Management Regional District | Yes, IUCN Category VI |
8 | LISAMA | Direct operation | San Vicente de Chucurí | Field within the protected area | Yes | PRODUCTION | 59,01 | San Silvestre Wetland Integrated Management Regional District and Serranía de los Yariguíes Integrated Management Regional District | Yes, IUCN Category VI |
9 | LLANITO | Direct operation | Barrancabermeja | Field intersects 70% of the protected area | Yes | PRODUCTION | 3,46 | San Silvestre Wetland Integrated Management Regional District | Yes, IUCN Category VI |
10 | MARTEJA | Direct operation | Barrancabermeja | Field intersects 70% of the protected area | Yes | EXPLORATION | 2,83 | Regional Districts for Integrated Management of the San Silvestre Wetland | Yes, IUCN Category VI |
11 | NUEVO MUNDO | Direct operation | San Vicente de Chucurí | Field within the protected area | Yes | EXPLORATION | 0,01 | Yariguíes Mountains Regional Integrated Management District | Yes, IUCN Category VI |
Main impacts by Ecopetrol region
Below are the main impacts caused by Ecopetrol in each of the regional areas in which it operates
Regional Area of Operation | Orinoquía | Andina Oriente | Refinación y Caribe | Exploration | Drilling and Completion Piedemonte | Central |
DAO - VRO* | DAA - VAO | DRI | DEX - VEX | DPI - VPI | DAC - VRC | |
Impacts on areas | ||||||
Habitat transformation. Number of cases that involve no intervention in areas/change of land use | 3 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 70 | 15 |
Changes in ecological processes | NO | |||||
Construction or use of transportation facilities and infrastructure | Construction of locations | |||||
Extension of impacted areas (ha) | 4,36 | |||||
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 since its operating activities affect only individuals and do not have a population reach | |||||
Number of species affected by forest exploitation | 130 | |||||
Volume of harvested wood m3 | 48,913 | 91,115 | 42,555 | 4,32 | 20,269 | 238,818 |
Number of Species affected by collision | 4 | |||||
Si | ||||||
*DAO : Orinoquia Regional Environmental Department, DAA: Andean - Eastern Regional Environmental Department, DRI: Refining and Caribbean Regional Environmental Department, DEX: Exploration Environmental Department, DPI: Piedmont Regional Drilling and Completion Department, DAC: Central Regional Environmental Department |
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 in voluntary conservation agreements
A. Conservation area and silvopastoral system of the Acacías municipality. Source: BQS SAS B. Agroforestry system of the Aguazul municipality. Source: Piedemonte Environmental Coordination. C. Agroforestry system of the Puerto Caicedo municipality. Source: Andean Environmental Coordination.
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.
Example of land design conservation agreement
Source: Ecopetrol S.A. Environmental Management Department
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.
Properties with Central Regional Conservation Agreements
Source: Ecopetrol S.A. Environmental Management Department
With regard to management in the prevention, mitigation and correction of potential impacts that could affect biodiversity, the following actions are highlighted:
For more information, please consult the section: Legal Compliance and Relationships .
Among the most important results in biodiversity conservation with mandatory investments by 2024 are the following:
To discover how we comply with the mandatory investments, see the Compliance to biodiversity offsets and 1% investment* requirements section.
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.
This approach is part of its sustainability and energy transition strategy, called SosTECnibilidad. For Ecopetrol, its commitment to Zero Net Deforestation means that its operations and those of its supply chain do not generate a net loss of forest cover. This means that any deforestation that cannot be mitigated must be offset through actions such as reforestation, ecological restoration, or conservation of existing forests.
Key concepts:
Forest: According to the Colombian Forest and Carbon Monitoring System, forest is defined as: Land occupied mainly by trees containing shrubs, palms, guaduas, grasses, and lianas, where tree cover predominates with a minimum canopy density of 30%, a minimum canopy height (in situ) of 5 meters at the time of identification, and a minimum area of 1.0 ha that is located in a territory. Tree cover from commercial forest plantations, palm crops, and trees planted for agricultural production are excluded (IDEAM et al. 2012).
Adapted IDEAM. IDEAM Forest and Carbon Monitoring System.
Isolated trees outside the natural forest cover: Individual trees resulting from natural regeneration, planted or established trees that are not part of a natural forest cover or forest cultivation for commercial purposes (Decree 1532 of 2019).
Zero net deforestation: Balance between the loss of forests due to deforestation and the gain from reforestation/restoration processes or others, conceiving that the actions of forest cover gain must correspond to the criteria determined in the definition of natural forest adopted by Colombia (MADS, IDEAM, 2019).
Lyons-White et al, 2020.
Natural forests are generally included in the exclusion areas* for ECP operations. Some linear projects are exempt from their exclusion.
*Areas that cannot be affected by project activities. Criterion related to the fragility, sensitivity, and socio-environmental functionality of the area; the self-healing capacity of the affected areas; and the status of the areas with a special status (ANLA, 2014).
We work in coordination with the Vice Presidency of Administration and Services in various training and awareness-raising activities aimed at the supply chain, with the goal of promoting practices aligned with the Zero Net Deforestation (ZND) commitment. These actions seek to raise awareness and strengthen capacity in our priority categories, encouraging their voluntary participation in the Intersectoral Pact for Legal Timber, as a concrete manifestation of their commitment to sustainability, traceability of forest products, and ecosystem conservation.
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