On many fronts, this irreversible loss in biodiversity is due to the harmful practices of multinational corporations. Corporate mining activities, fossil fuel extraction operations and pipelines, unsustainable commercial logging, fish farms and factories, and large-scale, export oriented agriculture all contribute substantially to the biodiversity crisis.

Most importantly, corporate activities are key drivers of the destruction of vulnerable habitats, which in turn is the principal cause of biodiversity loss. Forest habitats with rich biodiveristy are under increasing threat from the extractive industries. Mining activities and other infrastructure development account for 38% of forest loss globally, and thus contribute significantly to biodiversity destruction. Forest habitat that is critical for biodiversity is also being lost to unsustainble logging operations carried out worldwide by multinational corporations. These are some examples of habitat destruction carried out by multinational corporations.

· In Papua New Guinea, the Ok Tedi mine operated by Australian mining giant BHP Billiton dumped 80,000 tons of waste into local rivers, damaging thousands of square kilometers of rainforest that are habitat for endangered species. Astonishingly, BHP recently obtained legal indemnity for the pollution and damage it caused as part of an arrangement with the Papua New Guinea government to hand over the company's majority stake in the mine.

· In Bolivia, Enron and Shell built a 630-kilometer pipeline through the globally renowned Chiquitano dry tropical forest, the most significant remaining forest of its kind in the world. The Cuiaba piepline cut large swaths through an area that is classified as globally outstanding in biological distinctiveness and is home to 90 species that are listed in the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

· With World Bank support, ExxonMobil and Chevron have begun building the highly controversial 1,070 kilometer Chad-Cameroon pipeline through environmentally sensitive rainforest. The project has gotten off to a rocky start - the President of Chad used $4.5 million of World Bank funds for the project to buy weapons, rather than investing in public health and education as was agreed.

· In Ecuador, a consortium of multinational companies, including Occidental and REPSOL-YPF, are planning the 500-kilometer OCP heavy crude pipeline to the coast. If constructed as planned, the pipeline will cut through 11 protected areas and other fragile areas of extreme ecological importance, including primary tropical rainforest.

· In Nigeria, Shell's now infamous exploits in the Niger Delta have had drastic consequences for local ecosystems, especially the mangrove forests that are key sources of local biodiversity. Thousands of oil spills have occurred in the past decades, with little or no cleanup by the company. A June 2001 oil spill in Ogdobo destroyed the only source of drinking water for 150,000 people.

· Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), one of the world's largest paper companies is responsible for decimating large areas of Indonesian rainforest that are home to a number of threatened species, particularly on the island of Sumatra. APP has clear over 280,000 hectares of rainforest in the past decade and plans to cut another 300,000 over the next five years.

These are only some examples of the impacts that multinational corporations are having on biodiversity worldwide. Yet there are no binding international rules addressing how these businesses operate or providing clear legal liability for irresponsible behavior or abuses. An international corporate accountability framework is needed to ensure that corporations maintain a consistently high standard of behavior wherever they operate, and to ensure the democratic rights of citizens and stakeholders. Without such a corporate accountability measure, multinational companies will continue to operate internationally at the expense of people and the planet.