By Dieter Holger 



  BP PLC (BP) said Friday that it had adopted a raft of new policies to protect biodiversity where it produces oil and gas. 


  The British energy company said it would no longer explore or produce new oil-and-gas projects inside the boundaries of Unesco World Heritage sites and would consult with Unesco if it was considering any activities in the buffer zone or adjacent to a world heritage site. 


  It also said it would not operate any new oil-and-gas activities inside the boundaries of Strict Nature Reserves or Wilderness Areas as defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 


  BP currently has no operations within the borders of World Heritage Sites or the IUCN categories, but three of its projects are within 1 kilometer, according to its 2019 protected areas report. 


  From 2022 onward, BP said it would work to boost biodiversity in places it operates and develop an action plan to have a net positive impact in areas that have "potential for significant direct impacts on biodiversity." 


  "We are now developing the necessary robust methodology to enable us to do this," BP said, adding that it would disclose its progress and share baseline biodiversity data "where possible." 


  BP's updated policy comes as a growing number of big investors have raised concerns about biodiversity loss. In late May, AXA Investment Managers, BNP Paribas Asset Management and Natixis SA's Mirova said they had gathered around 30 investors, representing more than 6 trillion euros ($6.8 trillion), to support the creation of a framework to measure how investments impact biodiversity loss. 


  "We are now optimistic about the possibility of implementing this measurement, which should enable us to use our leverage as investors to reverse the present biodiversity crisis," the investors said at the time. 


  Write to Dieter Holger at dieter.holger@wsj.com; @dieterholger