smills, Author at Energy Standards

Vermont Gas Systems (VGS) Announces Purchase of EO100™-Certified Natural Gas

December 28, 2020

Last month, Vermont Gas Systems (VGS), a U.S.-based natural gas distributor announced it has added certified, responsibly developed thermal energy into its system that serves more than 53,000 homes and businesses in Vermont. As part of its overall supply, VGS is purchasing the Equitable Origin EO100™ certified natural gas from Seven Generations Energy (7G), an energy producer…

Responsible Energy Solutions Becomes Equitable Origin-Approved Assessor

April 16, 2020

Equitable Origin is pleased to announce Responsible Energy Solutions as an approved assessor to conduct certification assessments against the EO100™ Standard for Responsible Energy Development. Responsible Energy Solutions (RES) is an energy consultancy dedicated to helping companies create tangible value through environmental excellence. Recent work includes consultation with an international oil and gas pipeline organization on…

New Standard Achieved in Responsible and Transparent Energy Development and Procurement

February 10, 2020

Calgary, February 10, 2020 – Seven Generations Energy Ltd. (7G) and Québec’s main natural gas distributor, Énergir s.e.c. (Énergir), have entered into a responsible natural gas supply agreement governed by the EO100™ Standard for Responsible Energy Development. Globally, this is the first transaction executed under the EO100™ framework and establishes a new standard for…

FPIC-360° Tool for Monitoring and Verifying Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC)

October 3, 2019

Equitable Origin and the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials are delighted to have received replication grant funding from the ISEAL Innovation Fund to continue the development of the FPIC-360° tool for monitoring and verifying Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC.) FPIC is a principle that informs the right to consultation and is enshrined in the United Nations (UN) Declaration on the…

Mapping the Renewable Energy Sector to the Sustainable Development Goals

January 15, 2019

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, Equitable Origin and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network have published, “Mapping the Renewable Energy Sector to the Sustainable Development Goals: An Atlas,” a consultative draft on the opportunities for the renewable energy sector to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals…

Indigenous Voices: Ecuador – Zamora Chinchipe Province

January 5, 2019

Last year, we launched a series of blogs featuring voices from the field, profiling indigenous participants in the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) workshops we held in Colombia, Peru and Ecuador between October 2017 and February 2018 in conjunction with COICA, the Coordinator of Indigenous Organisations of the Amazon Basin. For more information about our FPIC…

EO is hiring: Project Director – Mexico

December 29, 2018

EO is hiring a Project Director in Mexico. We are seeking candidates with sector expertise in energy and extractives; knowledge of human rights, social and environmental standards; and experience working with companies and with communities and Indigenous Peoples affected by large-scale development projects. For more information and to apply, please download the position description:TdR_ProjDirector_Mexico_rev Deadline…

Indigenous Voices: Ecuador

November 20, 2018

Last month, we launched a series of blogs featuring voices from the field, profiling indigenous participants in the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) workshops we held in Colombia, Peru and Ecuador between October 2017 and February 2018 in conjunction with COICA, the Coordinator of Indigenous Organisations of the Amazon Basin. For more information about our FPIC…

Indigenous Voices: Colombia

October 8, 2018

As we celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we are launching a series of blogs featuring voices from the field, profiling indigenous participants in the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) workshops we held in Colombia, Peru and Ecuador between October 2017 and February 2018 in conjunction with COICA, the Coordinator of Indigenous Organisations of the Amazon Basin. For…

Renewable Energy and Responsible Sourcing

September 20, 2018

For some industries, supply chain management has been a feature of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability programmes for decades. Early in the CSR movement, labour issues were brought to light in the apparel and textile sectors leading to a proliferation of standards and extensive auditing programmes initiated by consumer-facing firms. Other products’ supply chains…

The Business Case for Community Engagement: Getting Prior Consultation Right in Mexico

September 17, 2018

Join us for a Forum in Mexico City on Tuesday, October 9th where speakers from the public and prviate sector and from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will discuss the regulatory landscape and operational challenges associated with prior consulation and consent in Mexico. Mexico’s energy reforms may have opened important opportunities for global energy companies. But mastering…

Renewable Energy: an inexhaustible resource, who will assume the externalities?

July 13, 2018

Para español, ver abajo. As the Right Energy Partnership was launched at the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development at the United Nations in New York this week, we invited our Ecuadorean colleague, Pablo Yépez, to share his thoughts about renewable energy. The Right Energy Partnership is a unique collaboration between Indigenous Peoples and other…

Can Renewable Energy Deliver on the UN Sustainable Development Goals?

July 2, 2018

In September 2015, the UN member states agreed to a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which represent the global agenda for equitable, socially inclusive, and environmentally sustainable economic development through 2030. Since their launch, companies across many sectors have been trying to figure out how to align the SDGs with their sustainability programs and in some cases,…

Equitable Origin Signs MoU with Bettercoal

June 28, 2018

London, 27 June 2018 – Bettercoal and Equitable Origin have today signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to forge an active and mutually beneficial relationship between the two organisations to identify and to develop opportunities including but not limited to the harmonization of standards; to share knowledge and expertise on standard-setting and assurance; to…

FPIC: Improving Verification on the Ground (Video)

June 11, 2018

Equitable Origin has worked for over a decade to help Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon to protect their lands from destructive development practices. The best chance for exploitation of natural resources to benefit communities and reduce impacts on the environment and biodiversity is when communities have a say in whether and how those resources are…

A Masterclass on Free, Prior and Informed Consent at the ISEAL Sustainability Standards Conference

May 31, 2018

Equitable Origin researcher Emma Hague and Aurea Nardelli from the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) facilitated a masterclass entitled “FPIC (Free, Prior and Informed Consent) – improving verification on the ground” at the ISEAL Alliance’s 9th Annual Conference, which took place in Sao Paolo, Brazil, from 22nd – 23rd May. The right to FPIC is a key principle of international…

Community Engagement and Renewable Energy

May 29, 2018

Para español, ver más abajo. EO organized a workshop in Muna, in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, to train indigenous representatives on social and environmental impact assessments; Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC); and Human Rights. The training was conducted in partnership with the Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental (CEMDA), and included the participation of…

The EO100™ Standard: A Framework for Social Impact Assessments in Mexico

May 9, 2018

Para español, ver más abajo. With the objective of sharing international experiences in social impact assessments (SIAs), community consultations and Human Rights protection, EO and ANUIES, the National Association of Universities, initiated a new cycle of trainings geared towards applying the EO100TM Standard as a framework for SIAs in Mexico, with the support of the…

Rethinking Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC)

May 7, 2018

In February and March 2018, Equitable Origin (EO), in collaboration with the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) and the Coordinating Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon Basin (COICA) conducted the second and third workshops in a series of three workshops about Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) as part of a project funded by…

EO to Expand Social Impact Assessment Training Program in Mexico

March 1, 2018

Para español, ver más abajo During 2017, EO implemented a series of six trainings on social impact at local Autonomous universities in Mexico in partnership with the National Association of Universities, ANUIES. The trainings included developing a curriculum on social and environmental performance monitoring and management. These first trainings were delivered at the Autonomous Universities of…

EO leads Free, Prior and Informed Consent workshop with Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon basin

January 11, 2018

Para español, ver más abajo Equitable Origin, in partnership with the Coordinating Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon Basin (COICA) and the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), is currently leading an innovative and collective effort to examine the issue of Indigenous Peoples’ right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent, or FPIC, and how it…

Enabling Free, Prior and Informed Consent through Voluntary Standards

November 9, 2017

We are pleased to be the recipient of a grant from the ISEAL Innovation Fund to examine the issue of Indigenous Peoples’ right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent, or FPIC, and how it is applied in the context of voluntary sustainability standards. FPIC is a principle that informs the right to consultation and is…

EO Explores Innovative Approaches to Environmental and Social Impact Assessments in Mexico

July 17, 2017

Last year, Equitable Origin (EO) was awarded a grant from the Mitsubishi Corporation Foundation for the Americas (MCFA) for a three-year project to develop and deploy a training curriculum for social and environmental impact assessment based on the EO100™ Standard for Responsible Energy Development in collaboration with academic institutions in Mexico. Over the last six months, we identified…

A Fast and Fair Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy

June 22, 2017

This week, the American Renewable Energy Institute (AREI) hosted their 14th annual American Renewable Energy Day summit in Colorado, and EO’s CEO, Soledad Mills, spoke on a panel about the challenges and opportunities of developing renewable energy in emerging markets. During her talk, Soledad highlighted some key insights from the Business and Human Rights Resource…

Promoting Responsible Shale Development in Texas

June 14, 2017

Building on our work in Texas last year, EO is continuing to explore opportunities for applying best practices in energy development in the Lone Star State. This spring, we were privileged to be guided through the Eagle Ford shale and the Trans-Pecos regions of Texas by Sister Elizabeth Riebschlaeger, a native of Texas, whose knowledge…

Cardno Becomes EO’s Newest Qualified Implementation Consultant

June 12, 2017

We are thrilled to welcome the newest (and largest) member of our Qualified Implementation Consultant network, Cardno. Cardno provides social, environmental and engineering services for the improvement and delivery of sustainable infrastructure in local and international communities. Cardno has over 60 years of experience working in partnership with developing countries to deliver solutions for sustainable…

In Partnership with the National Hydrocarbon Agency, EO Supports Strengthening of Human Rights Protections in the Oil & Gas Sector in Colombia

May 22, 2017

A single word can define the last five years of Colombia’s energy sector: change. The country suffered the negative effects of the oil and gas price drop, new legal conditions to promote renewable energy development were approved, local communities put forward referendums to approve or protest projects in their territories and a new structural tax…

Creating Shared Value in the Energy Sector

May 3, 2017

In light of next week’s Shared Value Leadership Summit in New York, we thought we’d revisit the concept of Creating Shared Value and how it applies to the energy sector. Since we first explored this topic almost five years ago, much has evolved in our sector. Opportunities for and examples of creating shared value have…

EO100™ Certification Withdrawal Notice

February 21, 2017

This month, the certification of the Quifa oil field to the EO100™ Standard was withdrawn due to non-conformance with the annual verification audit requirement per Equitable Origin Procedure 204: Certification Decision and Certificate Issuance Procedure.* The site, located in Meta Department, Colombia, is owned and operated by Pacific Exploration & Production Corporation (formerly, Pacific Rubiales Energy) and was…

Fracking, Toxics and Disclosure

January 17, 2017

The following is a guest blog by EO Technical Committee member, T. Robert Fetter, who conducted a research project as part of the work on responsible shale development supported by Viridian Energy’s Simply Right Natural Gas Fund. Overview In emerging technologies where stakeholders express concern about potential external damages, but the extent of those damages…

Wind Power Siting and Communities: How to avoid a Standing Rock situation

January 5, 2017

EO’s CEO, Soledad Mills’ article, ‘Wind Power Siting and Communities: How to avoid a Standing Rock situation‘, published in the January/February edition of North American Clean Energy magazine, explains how clean energy companies can take steps to ensure they obtain and maintain a social license to operate through effective community engagement and consultation based on international…

EO Awarded Grant from the Mitsubishi Corporation Foundation for the Americas

December 19, 2016

We are pleased to announce that we have been awarded a grant from the Mitsubishi Corporation Foundation for the Americas (MCFA) to develop and deploy a training curriculum for social and environmental impact assessment based on the EO100™ Standard for Responsible Energy Development in collaboration with academic institutions in Mexico. As a result of Mexico’s…

Job Opportunity with the Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment

December 9, 2016

The Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment at the University of Colorado School of Law, is hiring a Fellow to implement the mission of the Center and coordinate joint activities under our newly established partnership. Find out more and apply here.

EO Partners with the Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment

November 29, 2016

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…

Getting Back to Our Roots: EO’s David Poritz and Paul Sorensen Visit Ecuador

October 27, 2016

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…

In Memory – Dr. Pamela Hartigan

August 18, 2016

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. She first supported me in…

How can we promote responsible energy development? We need your input!

August 1, 2016

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…