We are pleased to announce today that we have established a partnership with the Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment at the University of Colorado Law School in Boulder. The partnership will help us expand our work in the U.S. and enhance our programs with the renowned scholarship and advocacy of the Center and the Law School.
EO’s Co-Founder and President, David Poritz, and founding Board member, Paul Sorensen visited Ecuador last month and met with fellow Board member, Juan Carlos Jintiach, a member of the Shuar and representative of Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon region and his colleague, Enrique Salazar; EO Co-Founder, Manuel Pallares and his wife, Cristina Latorre; and former Secretary General of OPEC and member of EO’s Advisory Council, Rene Ortiz.
Equitable Origin (EO) was awarded a grant by the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation to support the first phase of a project to study the social and environmental impacts of clean energy infrastructure and consider the viability of applying independent, stakeholder-based standards to improve practices and local community perceptions of development projects.
We were shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the tragic and untimely passing of Dr. Pamela Hartigan, Director of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, on August 12, 2016. Pamela was a friend and close mentor of mine whom I met while I was an undergraduate at Brown University.
Energy infrastructure can have a significant environmental and social footprint and lead to landscape-level impacts, even while serving as a necessary development pathway. Voluntary standards and rating systems are recognized as some of the most effective tools to drive innovation in sustainable development.
How can we ensure that energy development works for the people and the planet? How can we improve outcomes for local communities and ensure they can share the benefits of development? How can we ensure development activities minimize negative impacts on the environment? We need your feedback on the EO100™ Standard for Responsible Energy Development so that it reflects current industry best practices and stakeholder expectations on social, environmental, and ethical performance of energy projects.
EO made its renewable energy debut this spring at the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) conference. The annual event, held May 23 - 26 this year in New Orleans, provides an opportunity for wind project developers, financiers, service providers, and advocates to meet, discuss the state of the wind power market, and address challenges confronting the industry.
EO Announces New Partnership with Global Infrastructure Basel: Expansion of Positive Impact and Raise Global Standards for Responsible Energy and Infrastructure Development Practices
While Equitable Origin (EO) works to raise the bar for social and environmental practices by energy developers, the Switzerland-based foundation Global Infrastructure Basel (GIB) pursues a parallel mission of promoting responsible and sustainable infrastructure development.
Community engagement: the common factor that can determine whether an energy project will come to fruition or be stopped in its tracks by local opposition. As we have seen in New England, Mexico, Kenya, and many other places around the world, engaging with local communities before, during, and after the energy development process can save projects from failure.
In early February a 40-year old pipeline that is Peru’s main conduit for crude oil ruptured, spilling 3,000 barrels of oil in the Amazon rain forest and polluting two rivers. Several indigenous communities depend on the affected waterways, and their contamination poses a serious threat to those communities’ health and well-being.