Sinopec Unveils Its First Global Biodiversity Conservation Report During COP17 in Armenia

Sinopec's Commitment to Biodiversity Conservation

On October 29, 2026, during the closing ceremony of the China Pavilion at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia, the China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, commonly known as Sinopec (HKG: 0386), unveiled its first-ever Global Biodiversity Conservation Report. This landmark document highlights Sinopec's approach to integrating biodiversity protection into its corporate governance, industrial operations, and international projects while emphasizing its conservation initiatives across various ecological aspects.

A Vision for Sustainable Energy and Environment

Zhong Ren, a top executive at Sinopec, attended the event, where he underscored the company's commitment to balancing energy development with environmental conservation. He outlined that Sinopec's biodiversity initiatives are part of a larger strategy to promote international energy cooperation while minimizing environmental impact. A representative from Sinopec's branding department presented the report, offering insights into the company's biodiversity management framework and its conservation achievements.

Sinopec's strategic plan includes incorporating biodiversity considerations into its Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) management system and imposing conservation obligations throughout the planning, construction, operation, and decommissioning phases of its projects. The report highlights the company's efforts to avoid ecologically sensitive areas and rehabilitate habitats affected by industrial activities. As of the end of 2025, Sinopec had decommissioned 992 oil wells, 112 gas wells, and 181 water wells, alongside various production and storage facilities, as part of its environmental management efforts.

Illustrating Commitment Through Habitat Restoration

Several projects exemplify how Sinopec adapts its industrial facilities to promote biodiversity. In Hubei province, the company has closed 11 riverside oil depots and 17 terminals along the Yangtze River. The Wangjiahe oil terminal, which operated for 63 years, has been transformed into an educational and observational center for the critically endangered Yangtze River dolphin. At Sinopec’s Zhenhai refinery in Zhejiang province, a protected habitat for egrets has expanded from 2,200 to 15,000 square meters, currently hosting around 4,000 birds. Additionally, the company has collected data on bird migration patterns over its industrial site. In Beijing, the Niukouyu wetland, previously an industrial wastewater treatment facility, has been converted into a habitat supporting almost 160 species of wild birds.

Moreover, Sinopec is investing heavily in technologies aimed at reducing its environmental footprint. These projects include China's first large-scale carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) demonstration project designed to manage up to one million tons of carbon, and an industrial facility producing 60,000 tons per year of fully biodegradable PBST materials, which are intended to combat plastic pollution in agricultural environments.

Expanding Conservation Efforts on a Global Scale

Sinopec's commitment to biodiversity extends beyond China's borders, as highlighted in the report. One of the international projects showcased involves the wildlife migration corridors near drilling operations in Uganda's Murchison Falls National Park, where efforts are made to mitigate disturbances for elephants and lions. In Ecuador, the company has successfully restored 2.4 million square meters of tropical rainforest vegetation, while monitoring over 800 species of plants and animals. In Angola, Sinopec has planted more than 7,000 mangroves to aid coastal ecosystem restoration. In Australia, a long-term turtle management program has utilized acoustic tagging and satellite tracking to monitor 47 green turtles, helping to inform measures to reduce disturbances from maritime operations.

Looking ahead, Sinopec is committed to further enhancing its international cooperation and strengthening biodiversity conservation across its global operations.

About Sinopec

The China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (HKG: 0386), known as Sinopec, is one of China's largest energy and chemical firms. Its operations encompass oil and gas exploration and production, refining, petrochemical manufacturing, marketing and distribution of fuels, and R&D. Sinopec is also advancing technologies and energy solutions aimed at reducing carbon footprints. For more information, visit the official Sinopec website.