CommDev

The Coming Oil Supply Crunch

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:00:00 GMT

The report argues that unless there is a collapse in oil demand within the next five to ten years, there will be a serious oil 'supply crunch' - not because of below-ground resource constraints but because of inadequate investment by international oil companies (IOCs) and national oil companies (NOCs). An oil supply crunch is where excess crude producing capacity falls to low levels and is followed by a crude 'outage' leading to a price spike. If this happens then the resulting price spike will carry serious policy implications with long-lasting effects on the global energy picture.

Collaboration Between NGOs and the Mining Industry In the Third World

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:15:00 GMT

This paper touches on opportunities and risks related to NGO/Mining Industry collaboration. But first, it will
address some of the underlying community development issues a mining operation in the Third World may face. It
will attempt to situate a mining operation in the larger economic and social life of the rural community in which it
might be located.

A Systematic Approach to Project Social Risk & Opportunity Management

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:00:00 GMT

The new briefing note addresses systematic approaches to managing social risk and opportunity for large projects. The document summarises lessons from EAP’s extractive industries and public infrastructure programmes, including collaborative research with the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), International Alert and the Actuarial Profession/Institution of Civil Engineers Joint Working Party on Project Risk Appraisal. It also draws on leading thinking on social risk management from organisations such as the IFC, the World Resources Institute and the CSR Initiative at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Planning for Integrated Mine Closure: Toolkit

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:15:00 GMT

This document presents an Integrated Mine Closure Planning Toolkit for the mining and metals sector. The toolkit is intended to be used to promote a more disciplined approach to integrated closure planning and to increase the uniformity of good practices across the sector. The concepts apply equally well to both large and small companies.

Measuring Impact Framework

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 02:45:00 GMT

Companies concerned about their social and environmental impacts have a new tool for measuring and monitoring their activities. the Measuring Impact Framework to help companies measure and assess the impact of their business activities on economic and broader development goals wherever they operate.

Participatory Budgeting in Africa: A Training Companion with cases from eastern and Southern ...

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:00:00 GMT

This report is split into two volumes providing users with information, tools, methodologies, case studies and tips on how participatory budgeting can be introduced and sustained. These resources have been collected from local governments where participatory budgeting is already being practised.

Participatory Budgeting in Africa: A Training Companion with Cases from Eastern and Southern ...

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:00:00 GMT

This is the second of two volumes which provide users with information, tools, methodologies, case studies and tips on how participatory budgeting can be introduced and sustained. These resources have been collected from local governments where participatory budgeting is already being practised.

Our money, our responsibility a citizens' guide to monitoring government expenditure

V. Ramkumar / International Budget Project — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:15:00 GMT

Managing Risk & Maintaining License to Operate, Part 1 & 2

CommDev — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Promoting Small and Medium Enterprises for Sustainable Development

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:45:00 GMT

Global wealth has almost doubled since 1990, but nearly half the world's population subsists on less than US$ 2 per day. Poverty remains a major challenge to sustainable development, environmental security, global stability and a truly global market. The key to poverty alleviation is economic growth that is inclusive and reaches the majority of people. Improving the performance and sustainability of local entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which represent the backbone of global economic activity, can help achieve this type of growth. The Issue Brief includes a set of key messages to both business and governments on promoting the growth of SMEs.

African Carbon Forum

CommDev — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:15:00 GMT

This event will bring together representatives from designated national authorities (DNA), national focal points (NFP), representatives from several UN agencies, governments and the private sector.

The Africa Carbon Forum is a platform that will strengthen links between CDM project developers and the region’s investment community, provide opportunities for DNA representatives to exchange views and share their experiences relating to the CDM, while facilitating knowledge sharing and transactions between project sponsors and global carbon offset credit buyers.

World Water Week

CommDev — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 19:45:00 GMT

SIWI is hosting and arranging of the World Water Week in Stockholm, the leading annual global meeting place for capacity-building, partnership-building and follow-up on the implementation of international processes and programmes in water and development. As an open platform for over 2,000 participants including key decision-makers and more than 200 collaborating organisations, the conference promotes the exchange of views and experiences between the scientific, business, policy and civil society communities, thereby advancing the water, environment, health, livelihood and poverty reduction agendas.

Counting carbons: Sustainable Returns in Global Energy

Goldman Sachs — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:00:00 GMT

This report summarizes the conclusions of our application of the GS SUSTAIN framework to the global energy industry, expanding and updating our previous analysis (Enhanced energy ESG framework, October 9, 2006). We have examined 59 global energy companies spanning four sectors: integrated producers, upstream producers, oil services and refiners. We identify BG Group, Petrobras, Schlumberger, Suncor and Woodside as overall leaders and CNOOC on our ‘Best of the BRICs’ list. These six companies are included in the GS SUSTAIN focus list. Four companies are included on our short list: Chevron, Halliburton, Hess and Nexen. Summary descriptions of all the companies assessed in this report can be found in the Appendix.

Global Energy: Sustainable Investing in the Energy Sector

Goldman Sachs — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:45:00 GMT

Integrating ESG, they launched their GSEES Index, to measure environmental and social performance, in February 2004. Index leaders have outperformed peers by 12% since then. Their new, expanded ESG Index measures overall management quality, and they incorporate it into a framework for sustainable investing in the energy sector. The ESG leaders also have the highest exposure to new legacy assets, which drive long-run returns and performance.

What Gets Measured Gets Done- WBCSD Launches Measuring Impact Framework

CommDev — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:15:00 GMT

Business knows that "what gets measured gets done." In this spirit, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) launches the Measuring Impact Framework to help companies measure and assess the impact of their business activities on economic and broader development goals wherever they operate.