OMV has established the following policies in order to manage our material impact and risk related to E4 Biodiversity and Ecosystems.
Code of Conduct
For the Code of Conduct, unless otherwise specified, the key contents of the policy that are relevant for E4 Biodiversity and Ecosystems, the process for monitoring, the scope of the policy, involvement of senior-level management, reference to third-party standards (where relevant), interests of key stakeholders in setting the policy (where relevant), and how the policy is made available to potentially affected stakeholders are covered under ESRS 2 Overarching Policies.
Enterprise-Wide Risk Management Standard
For the Enterprise-Wide Risk Management (EWRM) Standard, unless otherwise specified, the key contents of the policy that are relevant for E4 Biodiversity and Ecosystems, the process for monitoring, the scope of the policy, involvement of senior-level management, reference to third-party standards (where relevant), interests of key stakeholders in setting the policy (where relevant), and how the policy is made available to potentially affected stakeholders are covered under ESRS 2 Overarching Policies.
Environmental Management Standard
For the Environmental Management (EM) Standard, unless otherwise specified, the key contents of the policy that are relevant for E4 Biodiversity and Ecosystems, the process for monitoring, the scope of the policy, involvement of senior-level management, reference to third-party standards (where relevant), interests of key stakeholders in setting the policy (where relevant), and how the policy is made available to potentially affected stakeholders are covered under ESRS 2 Overarching Policies. Within OMV’s EM Standard, processes and mechanisms have been defined to prevent, mitigate, and remediate the potential negative impact that was identified. The specific processes related to biodiversity management outlined in the EM Standard include:
Biodiversity Site-Level Assessments
Biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) screenings are mandated within the EM Standard. These screenings are an integral part of the TNFD LEAP assessment. In the last quarter of 2023, we initiated work on BES screenings at six pilot sites as part of the ongoing TNFD LEAP assessment.
In 2025, we carried out a corporate-level screening of all operational sites within the OMV Group to identify priority locations for site-specific biodiversity and ecosystem services assessments planned for 2026. We aim to complete assessments at 13 priority sites during 2026, thereby concluding the Evaluate and Assess phases of the LEAP framework. These assessments are in line with our EM Standard and contribute to its objectives by helping to identify impactful mitigation and conservation measures.
Biodiversity Action Plans
OMV is a member of Ipieca’s Biodiversity Task Force, which has issued a guide on how to develop Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs). In 2024, OMV developed a BAP template that is aligned with the Ipieca guide and also fulfills TNFD and CSRD requirements. As stipulated in OMV’s EM Standard, OMV aims to develop BAPs for all operations and projects where significant residual impacts are identified via Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs). Significant residual impacts are those that remain after the implementation of avoidance, minimization, and restoration measures.
Mitigation Hierarchy
The mitigation hierarchy is the overarching principle that ensures the protection and conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Priority shall be given to avoidance and minimization. Restoration is used when necessary, while offsets should only be considered after all other mitigation measures have been exhausted. Examples of mitigation measures include the rerouting of pipelines or scheduling projects during seasons when the impact on breeding populations can be avoided. A good practice example of biodiversity management can be taken from the Berling development project in offshore Norway. The aim was to avoid any damage to sensitive cold-water coral. Building on available know-how and technology, biodiversity screening and baseline studies were executed as part of the environmental impact assessment. The mitigation hierarchy was applied by selecting a well location, template location, and pipeline routing as far away from any coral colonies as possible. The best available technologies were utilized to minimize any impact on the environment.
Our EM Standard mandates the assessment of environmental aspects, impacts, risks, and opportunities, as well as adherence to environmental performance requirements. The assessment of biodiversity-related impacts, dependencies, risks, and opportunities is carried out through a TNFD LEAP approach, which includes site-level biodiversity and ecosystem services screenings at selected priority sites. The assessment is based on the direct drivers of biodiversity loss. Environmental impact assessments (EIAs) conducted for capital projects describe and analyze observed or predicted direct and indirect impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services.
OMV’s key products, energy, fuels, and chemicals, and raw materials are not derived from ecosystem services. Consequently, their production and sourcing do not rely on ecosystems and there is no immediate need for traceability policies or for policies that demonstrate regular monitoring and reporting of biodiversity status and gains or losses. However, as some materials sourced from ecosystems may become increasingly important in our long-term strategy, we plan to expand or adapt our policies to ensure transparent traceability across the entire value chain and the regular monitoring and reporting of biodiversity status in the coming years. All renewable biobased inputs are ISCC PLUS or ISCC EU certified, ensuring sustainability, traceability, and transparency. For details, see E5 Resource Use and Circular Economy.
We recognize that our potential impacts on biodiversity can also affect ecosystems’ ability to provide essential services, leading to possible social consequences. The current policies do not provide detailed guidelines on assessing social consequences resulting from biodiversity degradation. Once the LEAP assessment is complete and the magnitude of our impacts is better understood, we may consider including such guidelines in our policies. Our EM Standard applies to our operational sites, including those situated in or near biodiversity-sensitive areas. OMV has not adopted any specific policies related to sustainable land or agricultural practices, sustainable ocean or sea practices, or deforestation, because during our most recent materiality assessment, no impacts, risks, or opportunities were identified.