The International Marine Contractors Association announced new guidance designed to help offshore and marine contractors better understand and manage their impacts on marine biodiversity. The publication, IMCA ES006 – The Role of Marine Contractors in Biodiversity Impact and Nature-Positive Developments, outlines how biodiversity and nature-positive principles can be embedded across day-to-day operations and long-term project planning.
Aligned with UN SDG 14: Life Below Water, the guidance supports efforts to safeguard marine ecosystems while enabling sustainable offshore development. With marine environments facing mounting pressure from biodiversity loss, climate impacts, and the growth of offshore activities, the document provides practical direction on how the industry can respond effectively.
It examines key areas such as the ecological impacts of offshore operations, rising expectations from regulators and clients, and real-world examples of contractors working to limit their environmental footprint and enhance ecosystem health. The document also points to the strategic benefits of biodiversity-focused approaches, including smoother project approvals and stronger relationships with local communities.
The publication places particular emphasis on nature-based solutions (NbS) as a pathway toward both ecological protection and operational resilience. It highlights how measures such as habitat creation, ecological monitoring, and nature-inclusive design can be adapted for offshore environments. Showcases include the biodiversity-focused design of the Princess Elisabeth Island energy project by the TM EDISON consortium, SBM Offshore’s data-sharing initiative, deep-sea biodiversity research through the BORA Blue Ocean Research Alliance®, and multiple restoration projects led by Fugro, Van Oord, Ørsted, RWE, Arc Marine, and Rohde Nielsen.
To support implementation, the guidance outlines relevant frameworks such as the mitigation hierarchy, ecosystem-based management, the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, and the IUCN Global Standard for NbS. It further sets out practical recommendations for contractors, including developing project-specific biodiversity action plans, strengthening monitoring and reporting, adopting nature-inclusive and nature-based design principles, collaborating with scientific and regulatory partners, and applying adaptive management to drive continuous improvement.
Did you subscribe to our daily Newsletter?
It’s Free — Click here to Subscribe!
Source: IMCA
