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Towards a net positive impact
Jan 1, 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 impacts on biodiversity are derived from the following actions related to Ecopetrol's operations:
- The construction or use of manufacturing plants, mines, and transport infrastructure
- Pollution (introduction of substances that do not occur naturally in a habitat from both localized and non-localized sources)
- Habitat transformation
The main impacts that the Company's operations may have on biodiversity are:
- Land use change
- Habitat transformation
- Contamination
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 according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature -IUCN- in categories I to IV.
Similarly, Ecopetrol does not have projects or operations in areas declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, nor does it plan to intervene in this type of area. The latter is evidenced below.
Source: Ecopetrol, Sustainability and Decarbonization Management.
All impacts on biodiversity are reversible and the company has as a guideline to intervene in transformed areas. In 2022, a total of 7.55 ha were intervened and 479.16 m3 of timber was harvested (equivalent to 14% of the volume of an Olympic swimming pool), mostly from isolated trees.
All the implemented interventions are reversible and are environmentally compensated through conservation or restoration projects that incorporate actions, modes, mechanisms, quantities and forms used 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).
In relation to operational incidents affecting the environment:
-
In 2022, there were 3 incidents with oil spills, of operational origin, greater than one barrel, totaling 63.7 barrels spilled with consequences in water bodies and/or Biodiversity.
- A total of 15.845 m2 of soil and 1.675 m linear meters of water.
|
Afectaciones a biodiversidad - Contingencia Clúster 13 |
|
| Contamination | Yes |
| Barrels Hydrocarbon | 38,7 |
| Barrels Production Water | 0 |
| Resources affected Water (ml) | 20 |
| Resources affected Soil (m2) | 4.052 |
| Species affected | Flora |
| Reversibility or irreversibility of impacts | Reversible |
| Tipo de sustancia | Nafta |
|
Afectaciones a biodiversidad - Contingencia Clúster 7 |
|
| Contamination | Yes |
| Barrels Hydrocarbon | 18,6 |
| Barrels Production Water | |
| Resources affected Water (ml) | 100 |
| Resources affected Soil (m2) | 2.447 |
| Species affected | Flora |
| Reversibility or irreversibility of impacts | Reversible |
| Tipo de sustancia | Nafta |
|
Afectaciones a biodiversidad - Rebose Piscina de Inyección 004 CPF 2 |
|
| Contamination | Si |
| Barrels Hydrocarbon | 6,4 |
| Barrels Production Water | |
| Resources affected Water (ml) | 1.575 |
| Resources affected Soil (m2) | 13.378 |
| Species affected | Flora |
| Reversibility or irreversibility of impacts | Reversible |
| Tipo de sustancia | Fluido aceitoso |
|
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 93.7%. |
- The species affected in 2022 are reported below according to the IUCN:
Species in IUCN threat categories affected in 2022
| Fauna - IUCN Status | Species | Number of individuals |
| Critically endangered (CE) | - | 0 |
| Endangered (E) | - | 0 |
| Vulnerable (VU) | Myrmecophaga tridactyla | 1 |
| Plecturocebus ornatus | 4 | |
| Near Threatened (NT) | - | 0 |
| Least Concern (LC) | Rhinella marina | 2 |
| Rhinoclemmys melanosterna | 1 | |
| Kinosternon leucostomum | 5 | |
| Basiliscus basiliscus | 6 | |
| Iguana iguana | 1 | |
| Leptodeira annulata | 1 | |
| Hypsiboas crepitans | 2 | |
| Hoplias malabaricus | 10 | |
| Andinoacara latifrons | 16 | |
| Eigenmannia camposi | 4 | |
| Synbranchus marmoratus | 2 | |
| Caecilia sp | 2 | |
| Astyanax magdalenae | 7 | |
| Cyphocharax magdalenae | 1 | |
| Flora - IUCN Status | Species | Number of individuals |
| Least Concern (LC) | Cecropia engleriana | 17 |
| Cordia gerascanthus | 1 | |
| Swinglea glutinosa | 1 | |
| Senna siamea | 3 | |
| Curatella americana | 1 | |
| Myrcia splendens | 6 | |
| Myrcia subsessilis | 1 | |
| Erythrina fusca | 1 | |
| Cecropia sciadophylla | 1 | |
| Total individuals | 97 | |
| Total of species | 25 | |
- In all cases, emergencies were attended in accordance with the provisions of the Emergency and Contingency Plans, including the proper cleaning of water bodies and the remediation of flora and fauna.
Operations in areas of high biodiversity value (Exposure and Assessment)
Ecopetrol currently operates in 108 sites whose areas total 1,394,776 ha, all of which were previously evaluated with Biodiversity Impact Assessments. This quantity corresponds to all of Ecopetrol’s assets, including operational and non-operational areas.
Source: Ecopetrol, Sustainability and Decarbonization Management.
Ecopetrol operates in 4 sites that are in proximity to critical biodiversity hotspots. It should be clarified that Ecopetrol legally operates in these four production assets that are located in two Protected Areas, known as Regional Integrated Management Districts (DRMI, in Spanish) – equivalent to IUCN category VI-, called La Ciénaga San Silvestre and La Serranía de los Yariguíes located in the department of Santander. The DRMI’s were declared by the regional authorities after 50 years since the start of Ecopetrol's operations in the area.
According to the IUCN categories, DRMI’s can be considered as a level VI protected area, thus allowing the sustainable use of natural resources.
Source: Ecopetrol, 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.
Ecopetrol's environmental impacts by regional area of operation.
|
Nature of impacts |
Introduction of invasive species |
Species reduction |
Habitat transformation |
Changes in ecological processes |
Pollution |
Construction or use of transport facilities and infrastructure |
Species affected |
Extensión de las zonas afectadas (ha) |
Volumen de madera utilizada m3 |
Reversibility or Irreversibility of Impacts |
|
Andina Oriente |
||||||||||
|
Campo de Producción Rubiales |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
Flora |
1,330 |
1,74 |
Reversible |
|
Campo de Producción Mago |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
Flora |
0,056 |
0,039 |
Reversible |
|
Orinoquia |
||||||||||
|
Anthropic |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO |
Fauna (Fish) |
0,41 |
3,81 |
Reversible |
|
Antrópico - Aprovechamiento forestal Campo Chichimene |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO |
NO |
NO |
Flora |
0,77 |
178 |
Reversible |
|
Central |
||||||||||
|
Gerencia de Operaciones de Desarrollo y Producción de Mares |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO |
NO |
NO |
Fauna and Flora |
0,43 |
99,211 |
Reversible |
|
Gerencia de Operaciones de Desarrollo y Producción del Río |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO |
NO |
NO |
Fauna and Flora |
0,21 |
82,65 |
Reversible |
|
Gerencia de Operaciones de Desarrollo y Producción La Cira Infantas |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO |
NO |
NO |
Fauna and Flora |
0,21 |
95,898 |
Reversible |
|
Gerencia de Operaciones de Desarrollo y Producción La Cira Infantas |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO |
YES |
NO |
Flora |
0,14 |
2,097 |
Reversible |
| Gerencia de Operaciones de Desarrollo y Producción La Cira Infantas | NO | NO | YES | NO | YES | NO | Flora | 0,0765 | 0,215 | Reversible |
| Piedemonte | ||||||||||
| Anthropic | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES | NO | 3,82 | Irreversible | ||
| Barrancabermeja Refinery | ||||||||||
| Res 073-2021- Aprovechamiento forestal de árboles aislados por riesgo en ubicación | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | Flora | 0 | 0,89 | Reversible |
| Res 631-2022- Aprovechamiento forestal | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | Flora | 0,11 | 3,72 | Reversible |
| Res 067-2022- Aprovechamiento forestal de árboles aislados por mal estado fitosanitario | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | Flora | 0 | 6,629 | Reversible |
| Res 068-2022- Aprovechamiento forestal de árboles aislados por mal estado fitosanitario | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | Flora | 0 | 1.843 | Reversible |
| Res 078-2022- Aprovechamiento forestal de árboles aislados por riesgo en ubicación | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | Flora | 0 | 2,33 | Reversible |
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, 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, 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 the Environmental 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 Environmental compensation and forced investment of 1% 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 Environmental compensation and forced investment of 1% 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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