SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES GROUP

SDSG 2019 PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS BIOCHAR FEASIBILITY STUDY: THIS STUDY RESEARCHED THE FEASIBILITY OF CO-LOCATING A CONVENTIONAL LUMBER MILL AND BIOCHAR PRODUCTION OPERATION NEAR A SOURCE OF BEETLE KILL WOOD, USING WOOD WASTE THAT IS NOT SUITABLE FOR LUMBER, TO PROVIDE AN ONGOING SUPPLY FOR CUSTOMERS IN GUNNISON AND CHAFFEE COUNTIES AND SURROUNDING AREAS IN COLORADO. CONTAINER PROJECT FEASIBILITY STUDY: THE PROJECT STUDIED THE FEASIBILITY OF CONVERTING A SHIPPING CONTAINER INTO AN ENERGY-EFFICIENT HOME OR OFFICE SPACE IN GUNNISON COUNTY. DODD FRANK 1502 CONFLICT MINERALS OP-ED: THIS RESEARCH PROJECT FOCUSED ON DODD FRANK SECTION 1502 AND TRANSPARENCY OF REVENUE FROM THE EXTRACTIVES SECTOR FOLLOWING US WITHDRAWAL FROM EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVE (EITI) IMPLEMENTATION, CULMINATING IN AN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW BLOG POST AT: HTTPS://WWW.ENVIRONMENTAT5280.ORG/DU-ENV-BLOG/RENEWING-US-LEADERSHIP-IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (ESIA) RESEARCH AND GUIDANCE FOR GOVERNMENTS: SDSG REVIEWED ESIA REQUIREMENTS AND RELATED PROVISIONS IN 10 CONTRACTS AND THE LAW AND POLICY FRAMEWORKS OF OVER 10 COUNTRIES. FINDINGS WERE PRODUCED IN A REPORT WITH COUNTRY CASE STUDIES REGARDING ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE IN THE MINING SECTOR, AND RELATED CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES. THE REPORT WAS PRESENTED IN PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL FORUMS AND IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE RAW TALKS PODCAST. THE RESEARCH CONTRIBUTED TO AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL FORUM ON MINING, MINERALS, METALS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (IGF) PUBLICATION: GUIDANCE FOR GOVERNMENTS: IMPROVING LEGAL FRAMEWORKS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT FOR THE MINING SECTOR. GUNNISON SUSTAINABLE LIVING LIBRARY: THIS PROJECT MAKES DATA PERTAINING TO NATURAL RESOURCES AND SUSTAINABILITY IN THE GUNNISON BASIN FREELY AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES AT: HTTP://SUSTAINABLELIBRARY.ORG/. INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR THE MINING SECTOR AND THE UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS): SDSG CONDUCTED ASSESSMENTS FOR TWO INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SETTING BODIES FOR THE MINING SECTOR TO EVALUATE AND ENHANCE THEIR ALIGNMENT WITH THE SDGS. INTERGOVERNMENTAL FORUM ON MINING, MINERALS, METALS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (IGF) ASSESSMENT AND CAPACITY BUILDING SUPPORT: SDSG PROVIDED SUPPORT TO THE IGF SECRETARIAT TO CONDUCT ASSESSMENTS FOR ECUADOR AND HONDURAS AGAINST THE IGF MINING POLICY FRAMEWORK (MPF). SDSG COMPLETED ASSESSMENTS AND RELATED CAPACITY BUILDING INITIATIVES FOR THESE COUNTRIES TO BETTER ALIGN THEIR LAW AND POLICY FRAMEWORKS AND PRACTICE WITH BEST PRACTICE STANDARDS THAT PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. INTERNATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION MODEL MINE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT PROJECT: SDSG PROVIDES SUPPORT TO THE INTERNATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION (IBA) MINING LAW COMMITTEE MODEL MINE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT (MMDA) PROJECT, A TOOL TO OPTIMIZE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OUTCOMES OF MINE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS. SDSG MANAGES THE MMDA PROJECT WEBSITE, WHERE THE MMDA IS NOW FREELY AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, FRENCH, PORTUGUESE, CHINESE, AND RUSSIAN AT WWW.MMDAPROJECT.ORG. INTERNSHIP AND LAW FELLOWS PROGRAM: SDSG REGULARLY HOSTS AND SUPERVISES INTERNS FROM ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS IN COLORADO AND AROUND THE WORLD. INTERNS AND LAW FELLOWS ASSIST WITH RESEARCH AND MEMO WRITING, DRAFTS OF PUBLICATIONS, RESEARCH TO UPDATE SDSG'S WEBSITE AND COURSE LECTURES, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SDSG PROJECTS. MUNICIPAL ENERGY AGENCY OF NEBRASKA (MEAN) CONTRACTS STUDY: THIS PROJECT RESEARCHES OPPORTUNITIES AND OBSTACLES FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION IN COLORADO UNDER MUNICIPAL ENERGY AGENCY OF NEBRASKA (MEAN) CONTRACTS. THE RESEARCH RESULTED IN TWO REPORTS, AVAILABLE AT HTTPS://WWW.SDSG.ORG/MEAN-STUDY. RECYCLING PROJECT: SDSG WORKED WITH STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS GUNNISON COUNTY TO ASSESS THE VIABILITY OF A REGIONAL RECYCLING FRANCHISE AND THE FEASIBILITY OF CREATING NEW MARKETS FOR MATERIALS. THIS INNOVATIVE PROJECT, MOTIVATED BY A CURRENT SHIFT IN RECYCLING MARKETS, COULD BOOST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN COLORADO'S WESTERN SLOPE COMMUNITIES. UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE COMMUNITIES COURSE: SDSG LED THE COURSE "COMMUNITY RIGHTS & EXPECTATIONS IN NATURAL RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT" AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE IN SCOTLAND. STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE COURSE WERE LEGAL PROFESSIONALS AND SCHOLARS FROM CAMEROON, CHILE, GHANA, GUINEA, JAPAN, KENYA, NIGERIA, PERU, SOMALIA, AND THE UNITED STATES. SEE HTTPS://WWW.DUNDEE.AC.UK/CEPMLP/PROFESSIONAL-DEVELOPMENT/UPCOMING-TRAIN TO READ A DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE AND TO DOWNLOAD A COURSE BROCHURE.