TotalEnergies’ Biodiversity Program for the Tilenga Project: Conclusion
06/05/2023
The Tilenga project in Uganda is located in the Albertine Rift region, a biodiversity-sensitive area. As part of this project, the Company has set up a biodiversity program covering four key ecosystems: Murchison Falls National Park, savannah, wetlands and forests.
Uganda: The Four Pillars of the Tilenga Biodiversity Program
The Albertine Rift is an area home to a number of endangered species, including African elephants, eastern chimpanzees and Nubian girafes. The region also hosts close to 450 different bird species, including Uganda's national bird — the gray crowned crane.
70% of the area’s natural habitat is protected.
The Tilenga Biodiversity Program is designed to address the impacts associated with the project, in line with the “Avoid, Reduce, Compensate” hierarchy, i.e. to avoid and reduce impacts as a matter of priority. The actions required to compensate these impacts aim to deliver positive outcomes for biodiversity and local communities — this is known as “net gain”.
The program is focused on four key ecosystems:
- Murchison Falls National Park
- Bugungu Wildlife Reserve
- Murchison Falls Albert Delta and the wetlands along the Lake Albert shoreline
- The Bugoma–Budongo Forest corridor
Goal:
To leave the Murchison Falls Protected Area and the surrounding landscape in better condition than if the project had not taken place.
The Tilenga Biodiversity Program will be implemented by TotalEnergies and its joint venture partners and will last for a minimum period of 25 years. The program's vision for 2045 is based on a collective approach and the actions required shall be undertaken in collaboration with government institutions, conservation partners and communities to ensure the necessary expertise and resources are provided to deliver positive outcomes for biodiversity and communities that last over the long term. The program shall also be subject to ongoing monitoring and external verification.