- What is Proteus?
- What is Proteus 2012?
- What and Who are the Proteus 2012 partners?
- How does a private-sector organization become a Proteus 2012 partner?
- What benefits are given to the Proteus 2012 partners?
- Is biodiversity data and information made exclusively available to Proteus 2012 partners?
- What is the relationship between the IBAT, the WDPA and Proteus 2012?
1. What is Proteus?
Proteus is a ‘public-private’ partnership which started in late 2003 as an ambitious five-year programme between UNEP-WCMC and a group of like-minded private sector organizations. The objective, broadly-speaking, was to make biodiversity information more freely available to the world and as a first step Proteus made resources available for the Centre to turn its data holdings into a more cohesive set of linked databases.
2. What is Proteus 2012?
Proteus 2012 is a new five-year programme that commenced in early 2008 to build on the successes of Proteus between 2004 and 2007. It recognises that more needs to be done to deliver comprehensive protected area information, and that the task of joining different biodiversity datasets has barely started. The goal by 2012 is for decision-makers in industry and elsewhere is to have access to the best possible data and information on the location and distribution of biodiversity of the highest value, as determined by globally important priority setting frameworks. The objectives of Proteus 2012 are;
1. To significantly improve the accuracy, completeness and currency of information available in the World Database on Protected Areas;
2. To provide integrated access to information on sites important for biodiversity identified by a wide range of internationally active organisations; and
3. To increase access to up-to-date information on the distribution and status of coastal and marine ecosystems.
3. What and Who are the Proteus 2012 partners?
A Proteus 2012 partner is a private sector organization willing to support the objectives of Proteus 2012. Partners either provide a financial contribution, technical support, expertise or a combination of all three, and depending on their contributions fall into the Platinum, Silver or Gold levels. The current Proteus 2012 partners are:
AngloAmerican; BP; BHPBilliton; Chevron; ESRI; ExxonMobil; IHS; Microsoft; Oracle; PremierOil; Repsol YPF; RioTinto; Shell; StatoilHydro; Total; WellData.
4. How does a private-sector organization become a Proteus 2012 partner?
Any private sector organization interested in learning more about Proteus 2012, or in becoming a Proteus 2012 Partner, should contact the Director of UNEP-WCMC (directorate@unep-wcmc.org) in the first instance.
5. What benefits are given to the Proteus 2012 partners?
The partners have an opportunity to work with UNEP-WCMC to improve data, develop products tailored to their needs for risk assessment, environmental impact assessment, early warning, corporate biodiversity offsets and other key processes. Not to mention the feel-good factor of delivering invaluable information resources to the world of conservation.
6. Is biodiversity data and information made exclusively available to Proteus 2012 partners?
None of the individual datasets held by UNEP-WCMC, including the globally important World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), is served to any organization on an exclusive basis. The data is always freely available to those who supply it and, in accordance with the principles of the Conservation Commons, are freely available for all non-commercial purposes and users. Commercial entities, or those who wish to use the WDPA for commercial purposes, can contact UNEP-WCMC to discuss their use of the WDPA and will receive personal attention to help devise the most effective response to their needs.
7. What is the relationship between the IBAT, the WDPA and Proteus 2012?
Initiated by BirdLife International and Conservation International, the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) for Business, to be launched during the World Conservation Congress in 2008, brings the WDPA together with the World Biodiversity Database to create a tool that provides critical site-scale biodiversity information. This will allow decision-makers to incorporate important biodiversity priorities into their risk assessment procedures for existing and potential operations. UNEP-WCMC has joined the IBAT partnership to ensure that the best available information on protected areas is included in this important new tool. In recognition of its potential value, and the contribution it makes to the second objective of the Proteus 2012 partnership, the Proteus 2012 partners have agreed to support UNEP-WCMC’s participation in the IBAT partnership, as well as further development of the IBAT itself.