Equitable Origin, a firm in charge of certifying environmental practices for the oil and coal industry, looked towards Colombia to create EO 100™, a quality standard that ensures the proper extraction of these fuels. According to Santiago Pastrana, Equitable Origin representative, nowadays Colombia’s oil industry presents a combination of successes and challenges.
This certification is important for the industry, since Colombia is one of the developing countries that produces these goods. The country produces over one million barrels of oil and 1.1 billion cubic feet of a gas a day. Overall there were 2 billion barrels of proven oil reserves and 4.7 quintillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves in 2012.
Equitable Origin is a for-profit social enterprise that verifies the proper development of extracting industries through a unique certification system that acknowledges the best local and global practices: the EO 100™ Standard. Colombia is the first country in the world to obtain this kind of certification, which shows the Government’s commitment with national policy, natural resources and indigenous communities.
According to Santiago Pastrana, this agreement will be beneficial for fuel producers, for it will create a consensual roadmap to reduce impact and contribute to sustainable development. The director also mentioned that the initiative “links certificate producers to medium clients and consumers, which creates awareness among the public about proper practices and awards the best companies”.
According to Claudia Hoyos, Country Brand Colombia’s CEO, “Equitable Origin has identified and developed an effective solution to close gaps between the requirements of the gas and oil industries; the needs of communities and people affected by exploration and production; and consumers’ awareness”.
The alliance between Country Brand Colombia and Equitable Origin became official on August 27th and it shows the country’s commitment to develop sustainable programs that ensure the proper use of natural resources as well as the protection of the rights of native communities that live in the areas of exploitation.
Learn more about Equitable Origin and discover why when it comes to sustainability, the answer is Colombia.
