By far the fastest growing and most needed area of development is helping communities build the capacity to meet their basic needs such as infrastructure development, training, job creation, health education, sanitation and water supply. Many API member companies with global operations are forming more effective partnerships with communities, regions, host governments and international organizations to address these needs. The oil and natural gas industry plays a key role in cooperative technology development, transfer and capacity building. Often this means helping host communities in many different ways as illustrated in these partnership examples. Capacity building partnerships provide constructive “win-win” relationships between the public and private sectors, with the aim of developing the capability and skills to achieve sustainable development through the use of modern technologies, management systems, a competent workforce and appropriate laws and regulations.
There are numerous examples of capacity building. The Shell Oil Company Foundation recently announced the establishment of the Shell Center for Sustainability at Rice University in Houston. The Center with a $3.5 million endowment will be a hub for collaboration by experts dealing with societal and environmental issues arising as a result of economic activities. The Center will foster opportunities for improvement through new technologies, market-based incentives, and other initiatives. An ExxonMobil affiliate in Nigeria is partnering with the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) to support micro-enterprise development and provide small business skills training through IFC’s Support and Training Entrepreneurship Program (STEP). ChevronTexaco is helping transfer western entrepreneurial knowledge to hundreds of local businesses in Kazakhstan. Joining with the United Nations, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the U.S. Government, ChevronTexaco created the Small and Medium Business Enterprise (SME) program. An infrastructure partnership involves BP Solar and the Brazilian Government’s PRODEEM program to address the challenge of providing access to energy in rural areas. Through PRODEEM, stand-alone, clean solar energy is being installed for community-based applications.
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The ConocoPhillips Nigeria business unit has focused its community efforts on “the needs of children, the future of Nigeria” for the sustainable provision of essential basic infrastructure and support to less privileged children in society, to ensure a better future for the country. For example, ConocoPhillips responded to the Nigerian government’s request for assistance for the Motherless Babies Home in Lagos.
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Parents and children should consider all options to pay for education. A wealth of information on education finance is available from Web sites operated by the College Board (www.collegeboard.com) and College Is Possible (www.collegeispossible.org). Now there’s a new option—rebates on everyday purchases.
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Working with the World Bank, ExxonMobil and its partners are investing $3.5 billion to produce oil in Chad and move it by pipeline to the west coast of Cameroon for export. Local employment is currently 9,500 people, 85 percent of whom are Chadian or Cameroonian. The project will provide billions in royalties and taxes. Of this income paid to governments, 85 percent will be used for social programs to help local citizens.
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An ExxonMobil affiliate in Nigeria is partnering with the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) to support micro-enterprise development and provide small business skills training through IFC’s STEP project (Support and Training Entrepreneurship Program).
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Calamity can befall any community. We have assisted residents of Central America recover from Hurricane Mitch by helping rebuild water supplies, donating fuel for rescue helicopters and for shipping critical supplies on tankers.
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United States Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) joined the National Community Action Foundation (NCAF) and ExxonMobil to award the Ohio Green Workforce Training Partnership with the inaugural grant from the NCAF ExxonMobil Weatherization Training Partnership. The Partnership will receive $100,000 to establish a first-of-its-kind training program that will prepare workers for a career in the growing fields of weatherization and energy efficiency.
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Exxon Mobil Corporation and the National Community Action Foundation (NCAF) announced they have awarded approximately $4 million in grants to recipients of the ExxonMobil/NCAF Weatherization Training Partnership program. The grants will support training for workers to improve energy efficiency of low-income homes across the nation.
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The Marathon Oil Company Foundation offers eligible Marathon employees and retirees the opportunity to participate in its Matching Gifts Program.
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Since 2001, Marathon’s Business Integrity Office annually has partnered with the Findlay, Ohio, Chamber of Commerce to present an Ethics Forum featuring a key note speaker and interactive discussion of business ethics issues.
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Petro-Canada and the Pembina Institute for Appropriate Development partnered to create Alberta Ecotrust in 1991. Alberta Ecotrust supports sound and effective community-based environmental action.
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