EO Hosts EO100™ Consultation Workshop in Washington, D.C.

Equitable Origin brought together a diverse group of stakeholders for a consultation on the EO100™ Standard in Washington, D.C. last week. EO hosted a lunchtime event at the offices of RESOLVE, a nonprofit conflict resolution organization that works on environmental, social, and public health issues, on November 20th. The event included a screening of “Oil and Water” and group discussions that focused on three main issues addressed in the EO100™ Standard for responsible oil and gas development: revenue transparency and governance, biodiversity, and the human rights concern of the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) applied for the most part to Indigenous Peoples. EO President and Co-Founder David Poritz, Vice President of Standards and Stakeholder Engagement Soledad Mills, and Director of Communications Josh Garrett were present at the event.

Attendees included representatives of environmental and human rights NGOs, government agencies, and private companies working in the oil and gas sector. The purpose of the event, which was part of the current EO100™ public comment period, was to gather expert input on the focus areas of the standard and use that input to improve the standard as it undergoes a review and revision process that will continue into 2015.

The extensive stakeholder review and input that went into the first iteration of the EO100™ Standard is a huge part of what makes the standard effective and unique as the only independent standard for responsible oil and gas development. But as industry trends shift and new technologies emerge, continuous review and updating is crucial to keeping the standard current and reflective of best industry practices. Just as the EO certification system demands that oil and gas operators consistently strive for higher levels of social and environmental performance, EO is determined to consistently improve the EO100™ Standard to ensure its maximum effectiveness at ensuring responsible oil and gas development practices.

The current public comment period for the EO100™ Standard is winding down–anyone interested in reviewing and commenting on the standard can do so through the EO Online Consultation Tool until December 5. Additional public comment periods will take place in 2015.

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