The rapidly increasing loss of biodiversity and natural resources is a major global concern, and Total has been actively involved in preserving biodiversity for many years. This commitment is formally expressed through the Group Biodiversity Policy and deployed through a wide variety of local initiatives and research programs. We also support actions through the Corporate Foundation for Biodiversity and the Sea.

A pioneering commitment

Total has been actively involved in preserving biodiversity for nearly 30 years through numerous initiatives, including:

• Creation of the St. Fergus Dunes Management Committee in Scotland more than 25 years ago.
• Creation of the Corporate Foundation for Biodiversity and the Sea in 1992.
• Introduction of an environmental management system more than ten years ago.
• Support for regional and international conventions that is embodied in our Health Safety Environment Quality Charter and our Code of Conduct.

A formal, Group-wide policy

We made our commitment more formal with the publication in 2005 of a biodiversity policy statement and a roadmap. The policy is aimed at:

• Minimizing our biodiversity footprint.
• Integrating the protection of biodiversity in our Environmental Management System.
• Paying special attention to regions whose biodiversity is particularly rich or vulnerable.
• Taking part in scientific research and helping to improve our knowledge of biodiversity.

To facilitate the proper application of the policy, we prepared a methodological guide focused on:·

• Knowledge of site biodiversity and the potential impact of our operations.
• Maintaining biodiversity by reducing and/or offsetting that impact and by incorporating biodiversity more fully in our environmental management resources.
• Joint R&D programs with local and scientific partners.

We began testing the guide in fall 2006 at three pilot sites, one in each of our core businesses: Yemen LNG and Feyzin and Prémont in France.

A variety of field initiatives

Our refineries and subsidiaries deploy a wide array of local initiatives to maintain biodiversity:

• In Kenya, the Total EcoChallenge reforestation program was launched in 2003 with laboratories, nurseries, NGOs and local communities. One hundred service stations offer their customers affordable trees, plus advice on planting them. A total of 40 million trees had been replanted by the end of 2005.
• In Uganda, Total supports the National Lake Rescue Institute (NLRI) program to educate the communities around Lake Victoria about risks related to water and environmental protection.
• In New Caledonia, Total Pacifique has since 2003 supported the action of the Environmental Introduction Center to protect the lagoon and mangrove forests. Some 15,000 brochures on mangroves have been distributed and an educational leaflet was published for use in schools.
• In Spain, the Compañía Española de Petróleo SA (CEPSA) refinery, in which Total has an interest, rehabilitated a lagoon close to its Huelva plant in 2001. In partnership with scientific experts, the program encompassed rehabilitation, reintroduction of native plant species and monitoring of endangered species.
• On the Yemen LNG⁽¹⁾ project  that we are developing in the desert and on the coastline of Yemen, we made sure that the site design and the pipeline and LNG terminal construction work would have only a limited potential impact on biodiversity, particularly local marine life. We support the Coastal Zone Management Plan set up by the World Bank to protect the Gulf of Aden coastline and will fund part of the work to be undertaken.

The Total Corporate Foundation for Biodiversity and the Sea

Set up in 1992, the Foundation deploys corporate funding initiatives to support research aimed at preserving plant and animal species and protecting marine and coastal ecosystems. In 2006, the Foundation:

• Organized a seminar, in partnership with French coastal wildlife conservation organization Conservatoire du Littoral, on the contributions of scientific research and natural area management to protecting seabirds.
• Provided financial support for an inventory of the mollusks and decapods on and around the island of Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu, as part of the Santo 2006 scientific expedition coordinated by France's Natural History Museum to document the island’s land and marine biodiversity.
• In partnership with the French Research Institute for Ocean Exploitation (IFREMER), finalized the REBENT project during the year. The Foundation was one of the project's main sponsors for five years, from 2002 to 2006. REBENT is a new network for monitoring the coastal marine environment. It aims to establish a baseline for coastal benthic ecosystems and to detect any changes, particularly in terms of biodiversity.

Additionally, the Foundation supports initiatives by Total subsidiaries, sites and employees. A number of projects were launched in 2006, including:

• A research program with Total E&P Thailand to assess marine biodiversity in the Hat Khanom-Mu Ko Thale Tai National Park.
• A study of seabirds on Scotland's Orkney Islands with Total E&P UK in Aberdeen.
• A program to protect sea turtles on Masirah Island in Oman, in collaboration with Total Oman.
• A research program on humpback whales with Total Pacifique.

⁽¹⁾Launched in 2005 and scheduled to come on stream in 2008.

 Learn more about the Foundation and the programs it supports