Community Benefits Plan and Approvals Roadmap for DOE-funded Decarbonization Development

Acorn International was engaged by one of the world’s largest mining and metals companies to prepare the Communities Benefits Plan (CBP) for US Department of Energy (DOE) funding of a planned green metals production facility in the Texas Coastal Bend region. As part of the overall project planning, our support included:

• Social/community risk assessment, including consideration of environmental resources of concern to local groups
• Environmental justice assessment and management plan
• Stakeholder engagement planning, focusing on traditionally underserved communities
• CBP, including consideration of workforce development, diversity & inclusion programs and plans for meeting Justice40 targets
• Detailed roadmap of regulatory, finance (DOE and other) and internal company  requirements for project review and approval, highlighting uncertainties, potentially long-lead-time activities, potential for intervention from external interest groups and key decision points

Our team joined the client team in presenting the project to DOE and responding to DOE’s questions about the CBP.  Acorn International remains a central part of the development team, pending project finance approval.

• advised our in-country partner on the ESIA process,
• recommended and helped implement world-class mitigation and management practices to mitigate environmental impacts,
• developed a resettlement and livelihood restoration program that respected traditional land tenure claims,
• worked on the ground to develop an effective community engagement program that required engaging traditional chiefs as well as government officials and nomadic herdsmen.