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We incorporate biodiversity conservation as a criterion from the early stages of project planning and design and during project construction, operation, maintenance, closure and decommissioning. Also, we commit ourselves to the implementation of the following actions within the mitigation hierarchy to ensure no net loss of biodiversity resources and achieve zero net deforestation for all projects in our sphere of influence:

a. Avoid, during the design phase, layouts and locating new projects in protected or strategic areas to preserve biodiversity. For this we define the following measures within our commitment:

•  Do not carry out activities within IUCN-listed protected areas Category I-IV.
• Avoid installing and operating infrastructure within IUCN Category I-IV World Heritage areas and protected areas. When the declarations of these areas are issued after the development of projects, there must be joint actions with the environmental authorities to ensure that the appropriate conservation measures.
• Develop an environmental diagnosis of alternatives to define the best layout, location, and construction method of projects to ensure the lowest environmental impact and enhance positive impacts on biodiversity.
• Prioritize the use of areas or corridors already intervened for locating new projects or for the expansion or modification of existing ones.
• ​Conduct environmental impact assessments to identify the main ecosystems, habitats, and species, as well as threat categories according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), their value and importance in biodiversity, the impact generated, and the delimitation of the intervention areas, and define prevention, management, protection, restoration, and compensation measures to reduce the loss of biodiversity.

b. Minimize interventions during the construction, operation, and maintenance of projects, by:

• Implementing actions that aim to avoid deforestation, reduce tree felling, especially in key areas of biodiversity, acquisition of products from sources with forest certification, among others.
• Taking measures to ensure the conservation of biodiversity, such as implementing wildlife passage in areas of biological corridors, shooing, and rescue and relocation (including nests) of species of fauna and flora.
• Controlling and monitoring service providers' compliance with the provisions of this policy in the development of infrastructure construction or maintenance activities and action in accordance with the best environmental practices.
• Evaluating the impact of activities through biodiversity monitoring and other actions to ensure the effectiveness of the measures implemented for the conservation of Biodiversity.
• Reducing natural resource intervention areas in the right-of-way of existing networks that cross areas that are now protected by IUCN Category I-IV while conducting infrastructure maintenance activities.

c. Repair or restore the intervened areas

• Reshaping the intervened soil, reusing the removed organic plant material to promote natural regeneration.
• Restoring the intervened areas with shrub and tree species compatible with the ecosystem and that do not pose a threat to the biological diversity of the area being revegetated.

d. Carry out effective compensation in strategic ecosystems against significant and negative residual impacts that could not be avoided, minimized, or rehabilitated, aimed at:

• Implementing compensation plans for loss of biodiversity and changes in land use and to avoid deforestation.
• The expansion of natural reserve areas and support for the preservation of the existing biodiversity in the areas of operation.
• Voluntary participation in biodiversity conservation projects, works on partnerships and joint efforts with private entities, authorities, unions or universities and other organizations, seeking to maximize results in the actions undertaken and ensure the care for biodiversity, promote the generation of knowledge, and contribute to position the importance of caring for biodiversity as a strategic element for the countries of operations.
  

• The contribution to restoring the protected areas of the region where we operate, in line with the environmental management plans of the protected areas or the plans of the environmental authorities.
• The participation of communities in actions to protect and care for biodiversity, supporting economic development activities seeking to reduce pressure on the use of natural resources.​
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   BIODIVERSITY RISK ASSESSMENT