A BIODIVERSITY report on a North-East chemical company's worldwide sites is to become the blueprint for other businesses across the globe.

The study was prepared for Huntsman Tioxide, on Teesside, and details the wildlife and habitats on company land ranging from tigers in Malaysia to white stork in Spain.

Its US parent company Huntsman was so impressed by the exercise that it is considering carrying out similar audits at its other subsidiaries around the world.

Research for the report was carried out by George Best, Huntsman Tioxide group environment support manager, who is based at company headquarters in Haverton Hill Road, Billingham, and Ken Smith, an industrial ecology consultant from Stockton.

It arose out of research started when the sites were owned by British Titan Products, then Tioxide, and latterly Huntsman Tioxide.

The two men have spent years travelling the world gathering data which can be used to prepare action plans for Huntsman Tioxide's UK sites at Greatham, near Hartlepool, Billingham and Grimsby, and in France, Spain, Italy, Malaysia and South Africa.

The sites are home to a bewildering variety of wildlife. Among them is Huelva, in southern Spain, where the company is sponsoring efforts to attract endangered white stork to land behind the main plant. Other species present include lizards, geckos and montpellier snake.

Another example is Umbogintwini, a site shared with several other companies in South Africa, which is home to many species, including sacred ibis, clawless otters and marsh mongoose.

And in Malaysia, the Huntsman Tioxide site is home to numerous species of butterflies, birds, wild boar and, on occasions, even tiger.

Mr Best said: "The UK is at the forefront in this field, with some countries only just starting, but although other companies have similar plans, ours is unique in that it contains so much detail.

"It is an integrated report - what happens on our site cannot be taken in isolation because you need to consider its impact on the local area."

Huntsman head office, in Houston, Texas, has asked to see the work.

Mr Smith said: "I do not think anybody has done this kind of work on such a scale and been as thorough as we have. We have included as much detail as possible.

"We have selected indicator species so that each site manager knows that if those species are flourishing on the site, others will be all right as well.

Published: ??/??/2004