Biodiversity
The variety of all living things on earth, including animals, plants, micro-organisms, bacteria, fungi and the ecosystems that they are part of. Declines in biodiversity represent a threat to our planet and humanity.
Material Topic Information
Why it matters
Our activities have the potential to impact the environment and the balance of flora and fauna that ecosystems depend on. We are committed to minimising these impacts by integrating mitigation measures into all stages of our operations and growth opportunities.
Ambition
To take accountability for our role in safeguarding the environment and work towards a net positive impact to biodiversity.
Contributing to SDG's
Salient Human Rights Issues
Materiality
Biodiversity at Fortescue
Biodiversity is the foundation of life, supporting essential processes such as air purification, water filtration, food production, and climate regulation. Healthy biodiversity sustains ecosystem services critical to human well-being and economic activity, enabling societies to thrive and adapt to environmental changes.
Protecting Biodiversity
Declines in biodiversity pose significant threats to ecosystems, businesses, and communities worldwide. At Fortescue, we understand the interconnectedness of biodiversity with our operations and the global environment. As stewards of the land in which we operate, we are committed to responsible environmental management, minimising impacts, and safeguarding ecosystems for future generations.
Our operations intersect with diverse ecosystems, particularly in areas of significant biodiversity value such as the Pilbara region of Western Australia and our international exploration sites. Managing these interactions responsibly is essential not only for the ecosystems and communities we impact but also for the long-term success of our business.
FY25 Highlights
In FY25, we updated our Biodiversity Strategy and reaffirmed our commitment to net positive impacts on biodiversity. In partnership with IUCN, work is underway to develop credible pathways to achieving net positive biodiversity, at first focusing on our Eliwana mine and considering our options for enhancing biodiversity value on the non-operational areas of the land that we manage.
During FY25, Fortescue achieved zero significant environmental incidents, zero significant environmental spills and no fines or sanctions related to biodiversity were incurred. Contributions to conservation research totalled over $66 million.
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$ 66.2m
FY25 Performance
A full breakdown of our FY25 biodiversity and environment data is provided in our FY25 ESG Databook located in our Document Library.
Impacts, dependencies, risks and opportunities
Fortescue’s operations impact biodiversity through habitat disruption and conservation efforts. Protecting ecosystems is essential for operational success and community trust. By mitigating risks and leveraging opportunities like stakeholder collaboration, we aim to enhance biodiversity and achieve sustainable, long-term environmental stewardship.
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Our Strategy: A Science-Based Approach
Our aim to achieve a net positive impact on biodiversity is central to our biodiversity strategy, ensuring that our operations leave a positive legacy for future generations. Our strategy comprises four pillars which prioritise key actions we need to deliver to help ensure we meet our commitments and goals across our existing operational sites and our current and future projects.
Our approach is guided by the mitigation hierarchy, which prioritises avoiding impacts where possible, minimising any unavoidable impacts, restoring affected areas, and offsetting residual impacts as a last resort. This framework ensures that biodiversity considerations are embedded in all stages of our operations, from project design to closure.
By leveraging partnerships with organisations such as BirdLife Australia and the Harry Butler Institute, we enhance our understanding of ecosystems and develop effective conservation measures.
To read our Biodiversity Strategy go to our Document Library.
A Closer Look
Managing Biodiversity
Managing biodiversity at Fortescue involves a structured framework of policies, standards, and procedures designed to minimise impacts and protect ecosystems. Our Environmental Management System (EMS) aligns with the principles of ISO 14001 and provides a tiered approach to biodiversity management, from corporate standards to site-specific plans.
Governance
Fortescue’s approach to governance prioritises responsible environmental management at every level of the organisation. All of our activities interact with the environment, particularly in the Pilbara, where the scale of our mining operations requires balancing resource extraction with biodiversity protection. We adopt a precautionary approach to environmental management, applying the mitigation hierarchy across all stages of operations and projects.
As a signatory to the UN Global Compact, Fortescue aligns its biodiversity management practices with the following principles:
Principle 7: Support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges.
Principle 8: Undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility.
Principle 9: Encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.
Fortescue’s Safety and Sustainability Committee oversees all biodiversity and environmental matters on behalf of the Board. During FY25, the CEO of Fortescue Metals managed operational biodiversity and environment-related matters, supported by the corporate Environment team and site-specific project managers. Biodiversity oversight for Energy and Global Projects was maintained by the CEO of Fortescue Energy and the Global Projects Director, with responsibility transitioning to the CEO Global Energy and Growth in FY26.
Our Approvals, Technical Services, and Communities teams play key roles in supporting our company-wide approach to biodiversity and environmental stewardship. Additional governance processes ensure accountability, including regular audits, monitoring, and reporting through Fortescue’s Business Management System (BMS).
Policy
Fortescue's publicly available Environment Policy was last updated in May 2025. It sets out our commitment and strategy for safeguarding the environment and is reviewed annually.
Our Environment Policy acknowledges the immense value that the environment provides and that it underpins almost every aspect of human development. We know there is a vital need to reduce global environmental impacts and to fundamentally transform and transition to a more sustainable future. We are committed to driving change and escalating accountability for environmental protection. This commitment is also reflected in our Climate Change, Water and Human Rights Policies.
Policy Principles
Our Environment Policy focuses on the following core principles:
- applying a robust governance framework
- protecting biodiversity
- conserving resources
- reducing emissions and waste.
Our Processes and Procedures
Environmental Management System
Fortescue’s EMS provides a structured framework to implement our biodiversity commitments. The EMS comprises three tiers:
1. Management Standards that set requirements for biodiversity, emissions, waste, and water management.
2. Group Procedures that describe how standards are achieved at an operational level.
3. Project-Level Plans tailored to specific sites, including the Conservation Significant Fauna Management Plan and Fortescue Marsh Hydrology and Vegetation Monitoring Plan.
Our EMS aligns with ISO 14001 standards, ensuring consistency across all operations. Fortescue Zero Power Systems in the UK has achieved ISO 14001 certification for its engineering and design activities.
Compliance
Fortescue operates in compliance with all relevant biodiversity and environmental legislation. In Australia, this includes laws such as the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and the Environmental Protection Act 1986, which govern mining activities in the Pilbara. Internationally, we adhere to local regulations.
Compliance obligations are tracked in our BMS, with accountability assigned to personnel and high-risk obligations audited regularly. Procedures such as the Environmental Approval Compliance Procedure for Pilbara operations ensure adherence to approvals and mitigate environmental risks effectively.
Fortescue also contributes to biodiversity offset programs in accordance with our regulatory approval conditions, including the Pilbara Environmental Offsets Fund. The fund, established by the Western Australian Government, pools offset contributions from mining and development projects to support landscape-scale conservation efforts, aiming to achieve better biodiversity outcomes than individual offset projects.
Reporting
Fortescue’s biodiversity disclosures align with GRI Standards, including GRI 304 'Biodiversity 2018'. Statutory and voluntary reporting of biodiversity, land and environment data is regularly undertaken to meet our obligations and commitments.
Biodiversity at Fortescue Operations
Fortescue's Pilbara operations encompass a variety of habitats including ephemeral wetlands, spinifex grasslands, gorges and riparian zones. These habitats support threatened fauna species such as the northern quoll, Pilbara olive python, bilby, ghost bat and Pilbara leaf-nosed bat, as threatened ecological communities including Themeda grasslands on cracking clays (Hamersley Station) and locally significant mangrove assemblages at Port Hedland, as well as threatened flora species including the Pilbara foxglove.
More information on our Christmas Creek, Cloudbreak and Solomon operations, together with vegetation, flora and fauna of conservation significance within or adjacent to any of our operational sites is provided in the FY25 ESG Databook located in our Document Library.
Our Actions
Fortescue’s actions to protect biodiversity and mitigate impacts align with the mitigation hierarchy, and include:
undertaking surveys and studies to understand the environments in which we operate
considering biodiversity value during the scoping, siting and design of our developments or expansions and minimising disturbance, where possible
conducting thorough environmental impact assessments
implementing biodiversity protection measures and impact mitigation strategies, including the use of site, or species-specific management plans
managing and monitoring biodiversity in compliance with our regulatory approvals
contributing to biodiversity research and development projects, including in partnership with conservation organisations and First Nations communities
commencing progressive rehabilitation where possible, and considering biodiversity into our closure planning processes.
Thorough and detailed state and federal environmental approvals processes clearly designate the areas approved for mining activities, areas where disturbance is conditional on Fortescue meeting specific biodiversity outcomes, and areas where disturbance is not permitted.
Our progressive rehabilitation activities
Our progressive rehabilitation activities in the Pilbara currently focus on research, field trials, and progressively rehabilitating limited areas of disturbance. To date, progressive rehabilitation has focused on minor works only as our mine sites are in full operation, with life of mine planning extending more than 10 years into the future. No habitat has been restored to date, though future areas for focus have been identified at Iron Bridge, Weelumurra Creek (Solomon), and areas adjacent to the Fortescue Marsh (Christmas Creek and Cloudbreak).
For more details on our closure and rehabilitation planning, see Mine Planning.
Additional Resources
Related Topics
Shedding a light on the Pilbara olive python
Inland water studies in the Pilbara
Shining a spotlight on biodiversity in the Pilbara
Digital Library
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