Biodiversity Commitment

Oriental InfraTrust values biodiversity and ecosystem services and commits to contribute through collaborative and collective actions to realize objectives covered in Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and UN Global Compact Framework for Corporate Action on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Nature underpins economic growth, human development, and well-being. OIT is committed to conserve, restore and sustainably (that meets the need of the present without harming or compromising the world that we leave to the future) use natural resources to improve ecological resilience against the challenges of the climate change.

For this, OIT shall remain committed to:

a. Screening of Impacts on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: To carry out screening and due diligence on impact on biodiversity and ecological services for its existing assets and any new asset that it plans to acquire.

b. Third Party Assessment of Biodiversity Impact and Preparation of Biodiversity Management Plan: Where preliminary screening identifies potentially significant impact on biodiversity and eco-system services, a third-party assessment of bio-diversity impact shall be commissioned. The recommendations from the study, including Biodiversity Management Plans shall be carefully examined to mitigate and offset any residual impact. The desired outcome BMP implementation shall be sustainable and have long-term outcomes such as restoration of habitat characteristics, enhancing ecosystem functions and people’s use and retention of cultural values associated with biodiversity.

c. Achieving NO NET LOSS: The BMPs shall be implemented to ensure that there is NO NET LOSS and preferably a NET GAIN of bio-diversity relative to the impacts due to OIT’s asset and its operation.

d. Transparency: OIT shall publish its biodiversity initiatives in public domain and report biodiversity impact activities in a timely, consistent, and a transparent manner as per national guidelines and try to adopt international best practices.

e. Influence Supply Chain: OIT shall understand and influence its supply chain’s impact on biodiversity- by undertaking initiatives such as conducting supplier surveys, relationship visits, and annual supplier awards, etc.

f. Collaborative and Collective Actions: OIT shall collaborate and support governmental agencies at each of its operating locations to meet legal and regulatory requirements such as diversion of the forest land and wild-life clearances, if necessary. It shall identify areas to complement government initiatives for conservation of forest and wildlife that is guided by sound science and traditional knowledge of the local communities. OIT shall participate in business forums and sectoral initiatives on biodiversity and ecosystem services in a wider habitat or landscape context for sustainable and long-term outcomes.