2035 target:
achieving an
overall net positive impact
on biodiversity

Approach validated by
act4nature

Approach validated by Business for Nature

Towards an overall net positive contribution to biodiversity

Ourbiodiversity conservation initiatives are based on the ERC sequence (Avoid, Reduce, Rehabilitate, Compensate). It is at the heart of impact studies carried out for all Eramet sites and projects, and the Biodiversity Action Plans (BAP) are currently being updated to bring them into line with the IRMA and IFC PS6 international standards.

PABs include measurements of biodiversity losses and gains. Calculation methods are tailored to each site’s specific characteristics, taking into account habitat quality and species vulnerability. The goal is to achieve no net loss in biodiversity, and preferably a net gain.

To minimize and counterbalance losses, mining sites implement ongoing habitat restoration in addition to avoidance and reduction measures, and in some cases also create new conservation areas or develop specific conservation programs. 45% of sites have a BAP that meets the highest international standards (IRMA, IFC PS6).

Respecting biodiversity: a priority from the very outset of our projects

In each of the countries where it operates and at each of its sites, the Eramet Group strives to develop a better understanding of its environment in order to assess its impact through the following measures:

  • Biodiversity assessment: mapping of plant life, inventory of species (fauna and flora), ecosystems, and ecosystem services,
  • Adaptation of the project through implementation of the ERC (Avoid-Reduce-Compensate) sequence,
  • Submission of formal impact studies to the relevant authorities prior to any mining project (new or expansion).

Furthermore, Eramet does not operate in any areas listed as World Heritage Sites; or in any areas listed on a country’s official tentative list for World Heritage Site status; or in any areas classified as categories I to III protected areas by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); or in any core areas of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves.

Finally, the Group does not engage in deep sea tailing placement, nor does it engage in deep sea exploration or mining.

Biodiversity research and innovation

The Group attaches great importance to the development of scientific knowledge and to innovation (aimed at improving its practices, assessment tools and monitoring methods) in the areas where it operates.

Biodiversity Passport

Reproduction of rare and endangered species

The Lékédi Biodiversity Foundation: a sanctuary for biodiversity in Gabon

The Lékédi Biodiversity Foundation, created and supported by Eramet and its subsidiary Comilog, aims to contribute to and promote biodiversity conservation, through the preservation of ecosystems and endangered species. Its activities are aligned with the major objectives and targets set out in the Global Biodiversity Framework adopted at COP 15 in 2022.

Its main objectives are as follows:

  • Biodiversity conservation
  • Scientific research
  • Community education

Among the Foundation’s numerous strengths are:

  • a 14,000-hectare reserve, home to the country’s emblematic species
  • expertise in ecology and primatology
  • laboratories and biodiversity monitoring tools
  • accommodation for scientists
  • tours (botanical trail and wildlife observation) for the general public and schools
  • close links with communities and local authorities

Our practical initiatives for preserving biodiversity

Femmes d'Avenir - Gabon

Nurseries to revegetate sites

Restoring a site after it has been mined involves revegetating it. To this end, Comilog, Eramet Grande Côte, SLN and Weda Bay Nickel have set up nurseries to grow seedlings for replanting.

Femmes d'Avenir - Gabon

Returning restored land

Senegal

Eramet’s Grande Côte mineral sand mine consists of a dredger and a concentration unit that advance several meters every day. As the unit progresses, the dunes are restored to their original proportions at the rear of the unit, thus reproducing the original topography. Once the dunes have been stabilized, Eramet Grande Côte plants vegetation. The plants are produced locally by an Economic Interest Group (EIG) involving members of local communities. Eramet Grande Côte has already embarked on the process of land return and has already handed over 85 hectares to the Senegalese Water and Forestry Department. By the end of 2024, an additional 315 hectares were ready for return.

Femmes d'Avenir - Gabon

Comilog’s Savanes Program

Gabon

This program is being developed in collaboration with Comilog’s Biodiversity Department and is part of an offset initiative designed to compensate for the expansion of the mine’s activities to a new plateau. It involves developing and sharing knowledge about savanna vegetation, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. The program is part of the Comilog/Okouma offset project. The aim is to enhance knowledge about Gabonese savannas, develop new restoration methods, and deploy them on a large scale.

Femmes d'Avenir - Gabon

The development of phenological data sheets

Gabon

To help with its savanna restoration program, Comilog has enlisted the support of the Université de Franceville (USTM) and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique (CENERAST) to study and develop methods of plant propagation (cuttings, layering) and seed propagation (germination) for nine species of shrubs. Several nursery and field trials were carried out to define phenological data sheets for each species. These data sheets describe the species, provide information on the different stages of plant development, including flowering, fruiting, and germination, and indicate the best times for sowing and planting.

Femmes d'Avenir - Gabon

Biodiversity conservation areas

New Caledonia

36 conservation areas covering almost 2,700 hectares have been set up by the Société Le Nickel (SLN) in New Caledonia. These biodiversity conservation areas help preserve local ecosystems, promote the natural regeneration of habitats and protect endangered endemic species. To safeguard rare and endangered plant species, SLN has developed several research programs with scientific institutes and the Centre National de Recherche Technologique (CNRT), that involve plant harvesting, propagation, and lastly reintroduction into conservation areas.

Femmes d'Avenir - Gabon

Camera traps: learning more about wildlife

Gabon

A camera trap is a device for recording images or video of animals without direct human involvement. It usually consists of a digital camera, motion or heat sensors, and a data storage system. These traps were first used in Gabon in 2017 to conduct biodiversity mapping studies in the savannas and gallery forests of the Okouma plateau, in preparation for it being opened to mining a few years later. Today, they continue to play an important role in monitoring and assessing the stability of animal populations in the vicinity of mining sites.

Femmes d'Avenir - Gabon

Lékédi Biodiversity Foundation research and innovation programs

Gabon

In Gabon, our Lékédi Biodiversity Foundation runs biodiversity research programs such as the Mandrillus project, launched in 2012 in collaboration with the CNRS, the Institut des Sciences de l’Évolution de Montpellier (ISEM) and the Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF). Its aim is to answer fundamental questions in evolutionary ecology, anthropology, food ecology and animal communication, as well as with regards to conservation and epidemiology. The project’s central focus is on developments in animal sociality (kin selection, host-parasite relationships).

Femmes d'Avenir - Gabon

Eramet Biodiversity Day

Since 2022, Eramet has been organizing a Biodiversity Day at its Lékédi Biodiversity Foundation reserve in Gabon. This annual event offers a unique opportunity for scientific experts, institutions and national and international partners to meet, talk and share ideas. This event reflects the Eramet Group’s commitment to contributing, beyond its mining activities, to the key objectives and targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework adopted at the Kunming-Montreal COP15 in 2022.

Biodiversity news