Corporate biodiversity management and PS6


HGA has assisted some of the world's largest extractive-sector companies in the development of biodiversity management practices and compliance with the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) Performance Standard 6 (PS6). In addition, HGA has provided assistance to lenders in ensuring compliance with environmental safeguards.

 

Some examples of HGA's clients and recent work include:

 

For the International Finance Corporation (IFC):

  • Coordinating the 2019 update of IFC's Guidance Note for Performance Standard 6
  • Assisting with due diligence and supervision of IFC clients

For the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD):

  • Benchmarking Performance Requirement 6 (PR6) against current trends in regulatory and lender standards for biodiversity protection.
  • Coordinating the 2020 update of EBRD's Guidance Note for PR6
  • Assisting with due diligence of EBRD clients

For the Multilateral Financing Institutions (MFI) Biodiversity Working Group (including IFC, EBRD, IDB, World Bank, EIB, ADB, and AfDB) and the Cross Sector Biodiversity Initiative (ICMM, IPIECA, and Equator Principle Financial Institutions):

  • Authoring Good Practices for the Collection of Biodiversity Baseline Data (2015) 
  • Authoring Good Practices for Biodiversity Inclusive Impact Assessment and Management Planning (2015)

For the global oil and gas association for environmental and social issues - IPIECA:

  • Developing a white paper on the concept of achieving a Net Positive Impact (NPI) on biodiversity in the oil and gas sector

For Rio Tinto:

  • Chairing a scientific panel to evaluate the management of wildlife impacts of a road constructed for the Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia.
  • Evaluating IFC Performance Standard 6 compliance of biodiversity management plans for the Simandou project in Guinea.
  • Co-authoring Rio Tinto's Staged Approach to Biodiversity Action Planning – Guidance Note, Versions 3 through 5
  • Lead authors of Rio Tinto's Guidance Note on Biodiversity Baseline Studies
  • Serving as technical consultant for biodiversity action plan development in North and South America, including Kennecott Utah Copper (USA), La Granja (Peru), Resolution Copper (USA), Énergie Électrique (Canada), in addition to several smaller operations and exploration sites

For Teck:

  • Advising on the development of corporate biodiversity commitments and a corporate strategy for biodiversity management
  • Authoring Teck's corporate guidance and design tools for biodiversity management planning
  • Supporting Teck in evaluation of possible biodiversity offsets.
  • Serving as technical consultant for biodiversity action plan development in North and South America, including Line Creek Operations, Fording River Operations, Elkview Operations, Greenhills Operations, Frontier Energy Project (all in Canada), and Quebrada Blanca (Chile)

For Minera Panama:

  • Developing and advising on the implementation of a PS6-compliant biodiversity management plan for the Cobre Panama copper mine in Panama, including a 250,000 hectare biodiversity offset in the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor

For Barrick Gold:

  • Advising on updates to Barrick Gold's Biodiversity Standard
  • Authoring Barrick Gold's guidance document to the Biodiversity Standard
  • Assisting in the design of a PS6-compliant biodiversity offset program for the Pueblo Viejo gold mine expansion in the Dominican Republic
  • Advising on a PS6-compliant biodiversity offset for the Pascua Lama gold mining project in Chile
  • Advising on the design of a PS6-compliant biodiversity baseline study for the Lumwana copper mine in Zambia

For Newmont:

  • Assisting in the development of corporate guidance for the Newmont Biodiversity Standard
  • Developing a biodiversity management plan for a mine expansion at the Yanacocha mine in Peru
  • Assisting in the design of a biodiversity offset for the Merian mine in Suriname
  • Assisting with PS6-compliant updates to biodiversity management plans for the Conga project in Peru
  • Short-term consultancy to provide design advice for a PS6-compliant biodiversity offset plan for the Akyem project in Ghana.

For the Office of the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) for the IFC & MIGA, World Bank Group:

  • Conducting investigation of the compliance of Eco-Oro Minerals in Colombia with IFC Performance Standards.

For Inter-American Development Bank:

  • Performing due diligence on a prospective investment in a hydropower project in Guyana and its compliance with IDB Environmental Safeguards.
  • Participating as a member of a working group to develop a technical note on the application of the Natural Habitats and Cultural Sites Directive (B.9) of the Environment and Safeguards Compliance Policy, including development of a methodology for employing biodiversity offsets.

For International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM):

  • Editing a volume of case studies in biodiversity management, Mining and Biodiversity: A collection of case studies – 2010.

For Antamina:

  • Design of a conservation plan for Polylepis forests in the high Andes, which has been implemented since 2004. The project functions as a voluntary biodiversity offset for Antamina. 

For Marcobre:

  • Assisting with IFC Performance Standard 6 compliance for a mining project in Peru.