Earth Active’s forte is supporting clients’ environmental and social needs related to the financing of large-scale development projects around the world. Our experience of international financial institutions’ standards allows us to de-risk developments and investment opportunities through working alongside multi-disciplinary teams, developers, banks and other relevant stakeholders to optimise environmental and social outcomes.
We’re conscious of the carbon (and monetary) cost of travel and wherever possible use tech solutions to complete assignments from our desks, but it’s sometimes essential to be on-site. We know the sensitivities of working across borders and the importance of first-hand in-country experience to truly appreciate a project’s material issues. Capacity building is most effective in-country and there’s no better way to develop working relationships with clients or our wide network of associates and national partners than to be leaders on-the-ground.
EA teams visit diverse locations in the course of their work, including in recent months:
Madagascar: We travelled to the expansive savanna grasslands of southern Madagascar to collaborate with Malagasy biodiversity specialists for a one-week wet season survey of flora and fauna. Alongside, vital social science research gathered information on land uses, ecosystem services and local perceptions of biodiversity. This project is to inform our ongoing critical habitat and biodiversity impact assessment work to support a natural resources project with IFC Performance Standard 6 compliance and set the foundations for the design and implementation of effective biodiversity protection and conservation measures to mitigate project impacts.
Middle East: In the Middle East we recently delivering a due diligence exercise reviewing a private developer’s current compliance with IFIs’ requirements to pre-identify potential lender concerns and develop action plans to address gaps and enhance investment opportunities. The review covered the developer’s strategy and policies, due diligence and assessment procedures, management systems and risk management approach, in addition to a portfolio of projects.
South-East Asia: In our quarterly site visits we provide independent environmental and social auditing services for a major airport development intended to address major congestion of air traffic into the country. We collaborate with a group of Equator Principles lenders and the airport project team to support compliance with international performance standards – a condition of the lending agreement. A key element of the project is the development of one of the largest mudflat biodiversity offsets in the world for a number of critical habitat bird species, of which Earth Active is tasked with auditing the management and delivery. Within our auditing remit, we also review climate change reports, H&S commitments and organisational and management structure. To effectively carry out the due diligence process, the team visits the construction site, biodiversity offsets and nearby local communities.
Papua New Guinea: Earth Active recently returned from a mission supporting a major infrastructure project in Papua New Guinea with a range of biodiversity assessments and studies to prepare for project financing. The area is of internationally and regionally important terrestrial and marine biodiversity, including extremely high levels of endemism, species previously undescribed by science and charismatic habitats such as tropical forest, coral reefs and mangrove, and will have to achieve a net gain of sensitive biodiversity. Specifically our services include a critical habitat assessment, residual impact assessment and high level offset feasibility study to align the development with IFC Performance Standard 6.
Angola: Earth Active is helping increase educational opportunities in Angola by assisting funding for a new-build university campus for 8,000 students on a large undeveloped coastal site. We are undertaking ESIA studies and advising international lender and insurer discussions, on behalf of the project proponents.
