The ERM Foundation contributed over $1 million in FY14 to sustainability initiatives through grants and employee engagement. It focuses on areas like clean water/sanitation, environmental education, low carbon development, and conservation. Projects include installing water pumps/latrines in Liberia, training farmers in South Sudan, and supporting a reef rehabilitation project in the Dominican Republic. The Foundation also runs flagship projects in different regions, currently focusing on elephant conservation in Tanzania and creating a sustainable fishery in the Canadian Arctic. It supports social enterprises through its Low Carbon Enterprise Fund.
2. In *FY14, ERM contributed
over US$1 million to global
sustainability initiatives,
primarily through The ERM
Foundation and its programs.
This represents 1 percent of
ERM’s profits. The Foundation
focuses on areas where the
interests and professional
expertise of our employees can
deliver the greatest impact:
• Creating access to clean
water and sanitation
• Providing environmental
education
• Enabling low carbon
development
• Supporting conservation
and biodiversity
Providing pro bono technical support
The Foundation’s pro bono program
enables employees to provide technical
support for small organizations that
wouldn’t otherwise be able to benefit from
the breadth of expertise that ERM offers.
We believe that by providing professional
support for selected NGOs and social
enterprises we can make a larger impact
than by providing grant funding alone.
Raising funds and giving grants
ERM employees participate in a wide
range of fundraising activities for the
Foundation, from regular payroll-giving
to sponsored events, auctions and bake
sales. Employees can apply for the funds
to be matched by the Company at a rate
of 75 percent. Grants are often provided to
organizations that are also in receipt of
employee volunteering or technical pro
bono support.
Community volunteering
We encourage employees to participate in
a wide range of community volunteering
activities, often aligned with global events
such as Earth Day, World Environment Day
and the International Coastal Clean-up.
Flagship projects
Our aim is to run a high impact ‘flagship’
project in each of our global regions.
These projects employ the technical and
fundraising support of ERM employees
from across the region and deliver a
lasting impact at a regional or global level.
Flagship projects are undertaken in
partnership with established NGOs.
The Low Carbon Enterprise Fund (LCEF)
The LCEF (a global program of the ERM
Foundation) is an impact investment fund
that provides finance and professional
support for low carbon entrepreneurs
in the developing world. The small
businesses we invest in are bringing
affordable, low carbon products and
services to some of the world’s poorest
communities – reducing dependency
on kerosene, firewood and other
unsustainable sources of energy. These
enterprises also help to alleviate poverty
by creating sustainable livelihoods,
improving health conditions and reducing
the need to spend time gathering firewood
or clean water. The LCEF’s investment
funds come from the DOEN Foundation,
donations from ERM partners and other
external donors. ERM covers the majority
of the Fund’s management costs and
enables ERM consultants to provide pro
bono technical and management support
for the investee companies as part of
ERM’s commitment to invest 1 percent of
profits in sustainability initiatives.
About the
ERM Foundation
The ERM Foundation was established in 1994
to enable ERM and its employees to provide
technical, volunteering and fundraising
support for non-profit organizations and
social enterprises that share our commitment
to creating a more sustainable world.
*FY14: Financial year ending 31 March 2014
3. 01The ERM Foundation Review 2014
CEO
message
By combining pro bono technical support
with fundraising and volunteering, our
employees are able to help many social
enterprises and selected NGOs in the
communities where we live and work.
During the past two years, we have
developed a new initiative to scale up the
impact we can have through larger projects
with a regional focus. We have launched
‘flagship’ projects in each of our global
regions. These projects are in partnership
with established NGOs and utilize the
professional expertise of ERM employees
from across each region, along with creative
fundraising to provide resources (which are
then supplemented by the Company). We
are making good progress with our Europe,
Middle East and Africa flagship project,
which is helping to reduce rates of elephant
poaching in Tanzania. Our Americas flagship
project is starting this year and will focus on
creating a sustainable fishery in the
Canadian Arctic, bringing much needed
employment to a low-income community.
As part of our commitment to sustainability,
we continue to encourage our employees
to work with grassroots community
organizations and local non-profit groups,
either by providing technical support or
with fundraising. There are many examples
where these projects are making a
difference to communities where our
staff live and work.
Our Low Carbon Enterprise Fund (LCEF),
which provides financial and professional
support for low carbon entrepreneurs in the
developing world, has had another strong
year. With 20 percent of the world’s
population still living without access to a
reliable source of energy, we are able to make
a contribution by supporting social
enterprises that seek to bring affordable,
clean energy products and services to some
of the world’s poorest communities. We have
also launched a new Incubator Fund, which is
supporting start-ups and pilot projects in the
renewable energy sector. Our first Incubator
Fund investment was confirmed this year in a
venture that is bringing solar energy to
informal settlements in South Africa.
This year’s Annual Review showcases
just some of the Foundation’s impressive
achievements – and I would like to thank all
the ERM employees who have channelled
their time, energy and enthusiasm into the
ERM Foundation during the past year –
your contribution makes a difference.
John Alexander
CEO, ERM
John Alexander, Chief Executive Officer
“This year’s Annual Review
showcases just some of the
Foundation’s impressive
achievements – and I would
like to thank all the ERM
employees who have
channelled their time,
energy and enthusiasm into
our Foundation during the
past year.
”
The ERM Foundation is one way that ERM and
its employees can make a positive contribution
to a more sustainable world.
4. 02
The ERM Foundation
in action around the
world in 2014
Some of this year’s
highlights
Where
we work
LCEF investments
Environmental education
Conservation biodiversity
Clean water projects
Low carbon development
Countries/Territories
with ERM offices
Key
$10,000Grant for Ecologists without Borders
to restore 1,600 hectares of mangrove
forest in Mexico, improving local fisheries
and reducing carbon emissions (US$)
Grant and volunteering
support for multiple
environmental education
and conservation projects
across the US
Technical and
fundraising support for
reef rehabilitation
project in the
Dominican Republic
Sustainable
fisheries flagship
project in the
Canadian Arctic
Environmental
education with
school children
in São Paulo,
Brazil
5. 03The ERM Foundation Review 2014
$10,000Grant to install water pumps and latrines in
four remote villages in Liberia (US$)
Volunteering
support for
biodiversity
park in India
$18,000Grant to train 30 South Sudanese farmers
in sustainable farming techniques to
improve food supply for 5,000 people (US$)
Flagship project:
Technical and
fundraising
support
for Ruvuma
elephant
conservation
project in
Tanzania
LCEF investment in water
filter social enterprise in
Indonesia
Fundraising
and technical
support for
cycle path
scheme in
the UK
6. 04
Pro bono hours used by project type
Environmental
education
13%
Clean water
sanitation
15%
Flagship projects
17%
Low carbon
15%
LCEF
20%
Conservation
biodiversity
20%
180,000
160,000
140,000
120,000
100,000
80,000
60,000
40,000
20,000
0
Environmental
education
Low
carbon
Clean water
sanitation
Conservation
biodiversity
Grants given by project type US$
Pro bono hours used by project location
North America
4%
Europe
9%
Asia Pacific
18%
Latin America
Caribbean
30%
Africa
39%
200,000
180,000
160,000
140,000
120,000
100,000
80,000
60,000
40,000
20,000
0
North
America
Asia-PacificLatin
America
Caribbean
EuropeAfrica
Grants given by project location US$
The year
at a glance
The ERM Foundation provides pro bono
technical support and grant funding for
selected NGOs, community groups and social
enterprises that share our commitment to
creating a more sustainable world
Pro bono projects Grants
1,600+ hours
Pro bono hours contributed by 127 employees
to support 47 pro bono projects in 22 countries.
$365,800disbursed in grants to support 54 projects
in 16 countries (US$)
7. 05The ERM Foundation Review 2014
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
Asia Africa
Invested (US$) Committed (US$)
Latin America
Funds Invested since 2008 (by geography) US$
400,000
350,000
300,000
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
Solar
products
Avoided
deforestation
Wind
energy
Clean
water
Invested (US$) Committed (US$)
Fuel efficient
stoves
Funds Invested since 2008 (by type) US$
Low Carbon Enterprise Fund (LCEF)
The LCEF is a global program of the ERM
Foundation, which provides finance and technical
support for low carbon entrepreneurs in
developing countries
In 2014,
$200,000invested into two new low carbon enterprises
in Cambodia and Indonesia through our
Low Carbon Enterprise Fund (LCEF) (US$)
$12,000committed to our first Incubator Fund
investment in South Africa (US$)
Invested funds: tranches disbursed to date.
Committed funds: total amount to be disbursed over the term of the investment. LCEF investment in Kamworks, Cambodia
8. 06
Ruvuma Elephant Conservation Project, Tanzania
$47,000Amount raised by employees (including
Company matching funds) (US$)
10,000More than 10,000 elephants are killed each
year for their ivory. If poaching continues at
its current rate, elephants could become
extinct within the next decade.
250 hoursAmount of technical pro bono consulting hours
provided by ERM employees
9. 07The ERM Foundation Review 2014
Regional flagship projects
Flagship projects are a new initiative of the ERM Foundation.
They are designed to increase our impact by supporting larger
projects in each of our global regions. These projects are in
partnership with established NGOs and social enterprises and
utilize the professional expertise and fundraising support of our
employees from across each region.
Flagship project
in Europe, Middle East
and Africa region: Ruvuma
Elephant Conservation
project, Tanzania
We have been working in partnership
with a Tanzania-based conservation
group (the PAMS Foundation) to address
the issue of poaching in the Ruvuma
Corridor – an unprotected area that is
used by elephants as they cross between
Mozambique and Tanzania. We have been
working with PAMS during the past year
to improve their effectiveness.
Technical support
ERM employees have created an
on-line Geographical Information System
(GIS) making it easier for the PAMS
team to track elephant movements and
instances of poaching. We have also
raised funds to purchase GPS handheld
tracking devices for the field scouts,
enabling them to upload field data in real
time and mobilize local authorities to
intervene more swiftly. We are also funding
a new GIS site manager and will be
providing in-country training for the scouts
in the coming year.
Learn more on Youtube:
Ruvuma Elephant Conservation project, Tanzania
Employee fundraising for
the Ruvuma Elephant
Conservation project
ERM employee fundraising (including
company matching funds) raised US$47,000
by the end of FY14 to support this project.
Fundraising activities have included
sponsored climbs of Mount Kilimanjaro in
Tanzania and Table Mountain in South Africa.
Employees have also participated in a
sponsored bike ride from London to Paris
and have arranged many auctions, bake
sales and other sponsored events to support
the ongoing fundraising effort.
Our partnership with the PAMS
Foundation will continue during
the year ahead and we will also
be launching our Americas flagship
project and selecting a project for
the Asia-Pacific region.
The people
ERM people profile Partner profiles
John Lee
Oxford office
Krissie Clarke
Wayne Lotter
GIS Project Manager for
the Ruvuma Project
“The work I have undertaken with the PAMS
Foundation has been one of the most
exciting GIS projects I’ve been involved with
in my 20-year career. My team and I know
that we are making a real difference, which
is extremely rewarding, both professionally
and personally. The GIS site we’ve created
has a very direct impact on PAMS’
effectiveness in the field and has the
capacity to play an important role in their
anti-poaching work. We are now providing
applications for data collection that can be
run on “ruggedized” smart phones, which
will improve the field scouts’ data collection
capabilities. I really look forward to
continuing our relationship with the PAMS
team in the year ahead.”
PAMS Foundation
“Since 2011, the PAMS Foundation has
trained and supported over 200 game
scouts to undertake regular anti-poaching
patrols. This includes ground patrols
conducted by Village Game Scouts and
aerial surveillance. To date successes have
included the seizure of 1,582 snares;
25,586 illegal timber (pieces); 175 elephant
tusks; 805 firearms; 1,531 rounds of
ammunition; 6 vehicles; 15 motorcycles and
the arrest of 563 people. We are working
with the ERM Foundation which has created
a GIS platform that together with several
hand held units will allow scouts to collect
anti-poaching information and quickly
analyse the data and initiate the necessary
action. In order to ensure this runs smoothly
the ERM Foundation also has provided
funds for a database manager, a laptop
computer, and a vehicle for the project
site. The PAMS Foundation and the
communities of the Ruvuma are very
grateful for all this support.”
10. 08
Creating a sustainable fishery in the Canadian Arctic
“ The town of Gjoa Haven in the
Canadian Arctic has an unemployment
rate of more than 30 percent. Our Arctic
Fishery project will help develop a
commercial fishery 250km north of
the Arctic Circle. This project will
link traditional Inuit knowledge
with western scientific methods to
lay a framework for conservation.
”
11. 09The ERM Foundation Review 2014
Regional flagship projects
continued
The Americas flagship project:
creating a sustainable fishery
in the Canadian Arctic
This year, we also selected a new
flagship project for the Americas
region. This project is proceeding
in 2014.
Fish is a crucial year-round food source
for some of the Arctic’s most isolated
communities, yet in many inhabited areas
nearly all fresh food and fish is imported.
One such town is Gjoa Haven, which lies
250km north of the Arctic Circle and more
than 1000km from the nearest city. In Gjoa
Haven, the rate of unemployment is more
than 30 percent.
Our Arctic Fisheries Project will support a
sustainable, exploratory and commercial
fishery near Gjoa Haven, providing much
needed local employment. The Project
will link the traditional knowledge of Inuit
groups with Western scientific methods,
laying a framework for conservation.
The Americas team will be working with
a community based NGO, the Hunters
and Trappers Organization (HTO) of Gjoa
Haven. This organization leads initiatives
which have cultural, social and economic
value in the community and focus on
wildlife conservation while supporting
traditional lifestyles. The longer-term
objective is to be able to replicate this in
other areas of the Arctic.
The people
ERM people profile
Arctic Fisheries project
“We have been working in the Canadian
Arctic for over 20 years and we are excited
to assist a local community in developing
a sustainable fishery. We will be able to
share our technical expertise and assist in
developing a fishery that will be beneficial
for the community and long-lasting.”
François Landry is a Partner within ERM
based in Vancouver. He is a fisheries
biologist with over 20 years of experience.
François has been involved in numerous
mining projects where he worked with
regulatory agencies on fisheries and fish
habitat compensation related matters.
François managed multidisciplinary projects
based in Alaska, Northwest Territories and
Nunavut (Canada). During these projects,
he was responsible for training local Inuit
and aboriginals, in the collection and
identification of various fish species.
François has been working with Inuit
people for the past 16 years, and is very
knowledgeable of their culture.
François Landry
Vancouver office
12. 10
Clean water and sanitation
Improving access to clean water and sanitation in Honduras
About one-third of rural Hondurans have
no access to safe drinking water and the
average household spends 10 percent of its
income on bottled water, while many poorer
people still drink untreated water, leading
to widespread gastrointestinal disease.
What impact are we having?
We are supporting a Georgetown
University-led project that seeks to provide
the remote Honduran village of Balfate
with access to clean drinking water to
reduce rates of gastrointestinal disease.
This initiative also reduces household
expenditure on bottled water.
The people
ERM people profile
Our impact
Three-year involvement:
Chris Mattingly
Philadelphia office
Mike Pettit
Philadelphia office
ERM employee Chris Mattingly joined the
Georgetown University team in 2010 and
brought the project to the ERM Foundation.
Chris’ expertise and valuable language
skills have earned him respect and trust
in the Balfate community. Fellow ERM
employee Mike Pettit designed and led the
construction of two water tanks at the
highest elevation in the town – a massive
community effort considering that every
sack of cement and concrete block had to
be hauled by hand.
Commenting on the recent successful tank
installation, Chris said: “We know we are
making a difference to the people of La
Colonia Balfate by the pride on their faces
when a new water tank is installed at the top
of a mountain.”
Mike added: “There is a different feeling in
consulting for a local community versus a
large corporation. Even after spending a
long strenuous week in Honduras, I always
find myself planning the next stages of the
project on the plane ride home.”
$52,700ERM Foundation grants disbursed to support
clean water initiatives in Kenya, Tanzania,
Liberia, Honduras, Panama and Haiti (US$)
6.0mAccording to the World Health Organization,
6 million people die every year from diarrheal
diseases caused by lack of access to safe
drinking water and basic sanitation. 90 percent
of these are children under the age of five,
mostly in developing countries
240 hours
Pro bono consulting hours used by ERM
employees to support clean water initiatives in
Laos, Honduras, Tanzania and Uganda
ERM Foundation grants disbursed
since 2011:
US$37,850
(employee fundraising plus
Company matching funds)
In-country and desk-based pro bono
volunteering technical support
provided by ERM employees
Seven weeks
• Four 18,000 liter water tanks
designed and installed
• Team of local community
members trained to maintain
and operate the system
• 800 community members with
access to a clean water supply
13. 11The ERM Foundation Review 2014
Some of the other clean water and sanitation projects we have supported this year
Grant funding Pro bono technical support Community volunteering
US$20,000 grant for
International Action to provide
water chlorine tablets and build a
distribution building providing
50,000 Haitians with clean water
and 20 Haitians with part-time work.
US$10,000 grant for the
Checago Bright Foundation to
install four hand pumps and four
latrines to provide clean, safe water
and sanitation for remote villages in
two counties of Liberia.
Working with Engineers for
Oversees Development to
conduct a hydrogeological desk
study and collect field data for a
project in Uganda that will bring
clean water to approximately 5,000
people and 50,000 cattle.
Working with the Badur
Foundation in Lao Prabang, Laos
to undertake a pilot project for a
relatively simple, inexpensive and
replicable water purification system
to convert water from any source
into a safe drinking water supply.
Our Melville office in the US has been working with the
non-profit organization, Godparents for Tanzania,
since 2009. This year, an ERM Foundation grant was
issued to provide a clean drinking water supply for a
village near Moshi, Tanzania. Ernie Rossano, a partner
in ERM’s Melville office, has been working closely with
Godparents for Tanzania. Commenting on his
involvement with the project, Ernie said:
“I was able to work closely with a local engineer and
founder of a technical school in the village to design
and install a water supply well. This was one of the more
truly rewarding things I have done during my 27 year
career at ERM. I continue to work with this group and I
am planning a trip to Tanzania in 2015 to visit some of
the people I have grown to know via e-mail and photos,
and to further our work in providing safe clean drinking
water to those who need it. It’s great to know that we
have truly made a difference!”
New water tank being installed by International Action
14. 12
Low carbon development
and climate change
Renewable energy empowerment in rural Sierra Leone
More than 90 percent of Sierra Leone’s
population does not have access to a
reliable source of energy. This presents a
serious barrier to development and forces
many people to rely on firewood, kerosene
or batteries for their energy needs. The
Environmental Foundation for Africa (EFA) is
a Sierra Leone-based conservation group
that has been working for more than 15
The people
Partner profiles
Our impact
Two-year involvement:
“The ERM Foundation team quickly
established their roles as members of the
team responsible for ensuring that the
project was delivered on time and to very
high standards. As a result of the ERM
Foundation’s partnership with EFA and
contributions to the Renewable Energy
Empowerment project, there is now a
network of over 50 Renewable Energy
Ambassadors from the various stakeholder
groups. The Ambassadors have made initial
commitments to spread the word about
renewable energy in their constituencies,
specifically about the benefits, the
opportunities and the concrete ways
forward. EFA will continue to work towards
expanding the knowledge base around
renewable energy applications in Sierra
Leone, and will be key contributors to the
formulation of renewable energy policies as
well as their implementation and monitoring
in the year to come. We look forward to
continuing our partnership with the ERM
Foundation, and we prepare to formally
open our new Learning Centre this June.”
Tommy Garnett
Director, Environmental Foundation for
Africa, Sierra Leone
20%of the world’s population still does not have
access to a reliable source of energy
$55,800ERM Foundation grants disbursed to support
low carbon projects in Vietnam, Peru, Kenya,
UK, Mexico, South Sudan and the US (US$)
659 hours
Pro bono consulting hours used by ERM
employees to support low carbon initiatives and
LCEF investee companies in Burkina Faso, Peru,
South Africa, India, Cambodia, Sierra Leone,
Kenya and the UK
In-country and desk-based
pro bono technical support provided
by ERM employees:
Seven weeks
• Successful grant application to the
Climate and Development
Knowledge Network (CDKN) for
US$150,000
• Renewable Energy Workshop
held in Sierra Leone
• Creation of Renewable
Energy Roadmap
• Network of 50 ‘Renewable
Energy Ambassadors’ in place
to help implement the Roadmap
years to protect and restore the natural
environment in West Africa. We have been
working with EFA for the past two years to
address the issue of energy access within
Sierra Leone.
What impact are we having?
ERM employees have worked with EFA
to design and hold a Renewable Energy
Workshop in partnership with Njala
University, the Government Technical
Institute and the Sierra Leonean Ministry of
Energy. The workshop was held near the
capital, Freetown, in July 2013 and brought
together stakeholders from across
government, the private sector, civil society,
academia and the non-profit sector. The
local knowledge gathered at the workshop
contributed to a Renewable Energy
Roadmap for Sierra Leone, which the
workshop participants are now helping to
implement. This project has been led by
Caroline Kennedy from ERM’s Dublin office.
Learn more on Youtube, and listen to one of
the community members talking about his
community’s need for more renewable energy:
Renewable energy empowerment in rural Sierra Leone
15. 13The ERM Foundation Review 2014
Some of the other low carbon development and climate change projects we
have supported this year
Grant funding Pro bono technical support Community volunteering
US$10,000 for Ecologists
without Borders to restore 1,600
hectares of mangrove forest in
Mexico, improving local fisheries
and reducing carbon emissions.
US$18,000 grant for the
Alaska-Sudan Medical Project
to train 30 South Sudanese farmers
in sustainable farming techniques
and improve the food supply for
5,000 local people.
Working with a biogas social
enterprise in Kenya to improve
the design and efficiency of the
pilot bio-digester system.
Undertaking a feasibility study
for a solar lamp venture in
Burkina Faso to assess their
eligibility to apply for carbon
credits.
An ERM Foundation team in the UK’s Oxford office has
been working with a local charity (Bike Safe) to set up a
community path along a stretch of road that currently
has no provision for cyclists or pedestrians, forcing
many people to travel by car, which contributes to local
carbon emissions. Given the semi-rural nature of the
route, and the need for additional land, the new path
had the potential to cause negative ecological impacts.
The ERM Foundation team has raised funds and
provided technical advice to assist with ecology
surveys, the consenting process and mitigation,
bringing the new community path one step closer to
being realised. Once in place, this will give many more
people the opportunity to travel into Oxford safely and
healthily without the need to use a car, including some
of our colleagues working in the Oxford office.
ERM employees from the UK participating in a sponsored bike ride to raise funds for the ERM Foundation
16. 14
Recultivation erosion prevention in the Dominican Republic
In 2007, a number of hurricanes hit the
Dominican Republic causing serious
deforestation around the remote village of
Padre Las Casas in the South-West of the
country. This led to potentially dangerous
erosion along the cliff area putting the
villagers at risk. In addition, there was a loss
of more than 90 percent of cultivation in the
days before the annual harvest resulting in
critical food shortages within this
subsistence farming community.
What impact are we having?
An ERM Foundation team in Frankfurt has
been working with the local community
since 2008, raising funds to recultivate the
land and providing in-country support and
capacity building to ensure that the
replanting is carried out sustainably.
The people
ERM people profile
Our impact
Five-year involvement:
“The villagers in the project area have
recognized the importance of reforestation
and see these activities as a priority from the
viewpoint of environmental conservation.
The ERM Foundation has provided solid
preparation including capacity building and
the required funding for the plantation
activities. We have decided to expand
the erosion prevention activities in the
neighboring village of Guayabal and
incorporate the villagers in the capacity
building training. Between 50 and 60 local
people are involved in every planting
campaign. Thanks to our capacity building
activities, some of the farmers will be able to
provide training for farmers in neighboring
communities and expand the reforestation
and erosion prevention work over a much
wider area.”
Christopher Scheer
Frankfurt office
17,000According to the IUCN Red List, there are
more than 17,000 threatened species, including
mammals, birds, corals, ferns and lichens.
Pollution, climate change, invasive alien
species and the unsustainable harvesting
of natural resources all threaten the planet’s
fragile biodiversity
$100,800Grants disbursed by the ERM Foundation to
support conservation biodiversity initiatives
in the Dominican Republic, India, Tanzania,
Australia and the US (US$)
322 hours
Pro bono consulting hours used by ERM
employees to support conservation and
biodiversity initiatives in the Dominican
Republic, Sierra Leone, Australia, Tanzania,
Thailand, Brazil, Italy, India, Indonesia and
the UK
Funds raised by ERM employees:
US$34,000
(including company matching funds)
In-country technical support provided:
Seven weeks
• 36,000 plants, tress and
seedlings replanted
• New water pump installed to
improve irrigation
• 200 villagers in receipt of field
training to improve local capacity
Conservation and biodiversity
Learn more on Youtube:
Recultivation and erosion prevention in the
Dominican Republic
17. 15The ERM Foundation Review 2014
Some of the other conservation and biodiversity projects we have supported this year
Grant funding Pro bono technical support Community volunteering
US$2,600 grant for the
Tree Project in Australia
to re-vegetate the Victorian
landscape with indigenous
trees, shrubs and grasses.
US$5,500 grant for the Kenai
Watershed Forum to support a
community volunteer stream watch
program to monitor, protect and
conserve 29,000km2
of creeks,
streams, rivers and wetlands
in Alaska.
Supporting Friends of Cedar
Forest in Lebanon to explore
ways to protect the country’s
ancient cedar forests, including
a feasibility study for funding
through the Clean Development
Mechanism (CDM).
Working with the Friends of the
Roccolo Park Association in Italy
to protect a biodiversity hotspot by
undertaking hydrogeological data
analysis and groundwater surveys
for an ancient freshwater spring
that has seen significant reductions
in water levels in recent years.
ERM employees in Boston have been supporting the
Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) since
2013. In addition to grant funding, volunteering support
has been provided to help map and eradicate a
dangerous invasive species called water chestnut
(Trapa natans L.). The water chestnut is harmful to
slow moving river systems, suffocating natural
vegetation and harming animal life. The Boston team
will continue its relationship with CRWA this year with
the sponsorship of the Twinning’s River Project in the
Dominican Republic. The small mountainous Dominican
village surrounding the river relies on its water for
cleaning and drinking. CRWA, working with local NGOs,
is helping to develop the necessary foundations for
the Dominican people to restore the Twinning River
to its natural state. ERM employees plan to provide
in-country support for this initiative in the coming year.
ERM employees from Boston volunteering with the Charles River Watershed Association
18. ERM employees from South Africa
held a workshop with students to
identify ways that Ikamva Youth’s
Center could be made more
sustainable.
16
Developing young ‘green leaders’ within South Africa’s townships
Fewer than one in ten South African youth
access higher education of whom only a
fraction come from township or rural
communities. In many of South Africa’s
low-income neighborhoods the lack of
environmental education has resulted in
The people
ERM people profile
Our impact
ERM Foundation Workshop with
Ikamva youth:the lack of environmental knowledge
has had a destructive impact on the
environment. That’s where I believe we need
to step in and help educate young South
Africans. We need to empower them to
stand up within their communities and, in
turn, educate them about environmental
matters and communicate the value of
protecting the natural environment. Through
the ERM Foundation, we have managed to
reach out to hundreds of young South
Africans, making them aware of various
environmental issues and sustainable
solutions, as well as career opportunities in
the environmental field.”
Andreas Stoll
Cape Town office
$153,700ERM Foundation grants disbursed to
environmental education initiatives in the US,
Australia and South Africa (US$)
216 hours
Pro bono consulting hours used by ERM
employees to support environmental education
initiatives in South Africa, Brazil, Italy, Peru,
Argentina, Mozambique and the UK
Action plan items identified by
the students:
• Recycling scheme to be designed
• Compost heap to utilise
organic garden waste to be created
• Energy monitoring tool to be installed
• Replacement of light systems to
high-efficiency alternatives
• Water monitoring and rainwater
collection system to be designed
Environmental education
widespread practices that have a negative
environmental impact. Ikamva Youth is a
non-profit organization working across
South Africa to redress the inequalities
in the education system by empowering
and enabling youth from disadvantaged
backgrounds to access education and
employment opportunities.
What impact are we having?
ERM’s Cape Town and Johannesburg
offices have been working with Ikamva
Youth to:
• Hold a waste awareness event, designed
to inform students of the consequences,
solutions and opportunities associated
with waste and waste management.
• Provide career development guidance,
providing insights in to the types of
careers available in the environment
management field.
• Hold a resource efficiency workshop
focused on reducing consumption of
electricity and water.
“I got involved with Ikamva Youth because
education is key in the South African context
of high poverty, economic inequality and
lack of access to basic resources. In many
of South Africa’s low income communities
“We learned that the
environment is important.
It has opened my eyes
and now I can save water
and electricity and teach
my family.
”Ikamva Youth participant
19. 17The ERM Foundation Review 2014
Some of the other environmental education projects we have supported this year
Grant funding Pro bono technical support Community volunteering
US$3,000 grant for the Society
of Women Engineers to provide
sustainability workshops for 348
Girl Scouts and inspire girls to
pursue science-related careers.
US$5,000 grant for The Food
Project in the US to provide
materials for a community garden
project producing 18,000kg of
fresh produce for low-income
neighborhoods and community
programs.
Developing a waste
management and recycling
curriculum for school children in
Argentina and Peru.
Environmental education
cooperation between Italy and
Mozambique to develop shared
sustainability education materials.
Our Nashville office has entered into the second year
of a continued relationship with Plant the Seed (PTS),
a local non-profit program that creates outdoor
classrooms in community and school gardens to
educate and empower under-resourced young people.
ERM employees in Nashville have conducted innovative
fundraising and helped build raised garden beds
and an outdoor seating area at a Nashville area
school. In the year ahead, the team will continue
their partnership with the program by designing and
constructing a composting system from repurposed
wood pallets and a rainwater catchment system
to help educate the children about the importance
of conservation and reuse of available resources.
This partnership has helped introduce extra
outdoor activities to the students that also focus on
environmental education and food sourcing awareness.
ERM employees from Nashville volunteering with ‘Plant the Seed’
20. 18
The small businesses we invest in are
bringing affordable, low carbon products
and services to some of the world’s poorest
communities – reducing dependency on
kerosene, firewood and other unsustainable
sources of energy. These enterprises also
help to alleviate poverty by creating
sustainable livelihoods, improving health
conditions and reducing the need to spend
time gathering firewood or clean water.
The LCEF is supported by the DOEN
Foundation. ERM covers the majority of the
Fund’s support costs and enables ERM
consultants to provide pro bono technical
and management support to the low carbon
entrepreneurs we work with.
The Low Carbon Enterprise Fund (LCEF)
The Low Carbon Enterprise Fund (a global program of
the ERM Foundation) is an impact investment fund that
provides financial, technical and professional support
for low carbon entrepreneurs in the developing world.
New LCEF investment:
affordable water filters
for poorer communities
in Indonesia
Almost half of Indonesia’s 240 million
population lack access to a safe water
supply. Many millions of people have to
boil their water on a daily basis to kill
dangerous pathogens such as faecal
coliforms and e-coli. This process is both
costly for low income families and highly
carbon intensive as many families still rely
on kerosene as their primary fuel source.
Those who can’t afford to boil water are
vulnerable to contracting water-borne
diseases such as cholera, typhoid and
diarrhea (Indonesia’s second leading killer
of children under the age of five).
What have we done?
The Foundation’s Low Carbon Enterprise
Fund has invested US$100,000 in an
Indonesian social enterprise (Nazava) that
makes affordable, high quality water filters
for poorer communities. Our investment
will enable Nazava to scale its operations
and improve their marketing and
distribution capabilities. The LCEF team
and ERM’s Jakarta office will work closely
with Nazava to help grow the business
during the coming year.
Learn more on Youtube:
The Tech Awards 2013 laureate:
Nazava Water Filters
$160,000LCEF funds invested this year (US$)
$212,000LCEF funds committed this year (US$)
329 hours
Pro bono consulting hours used by ERM
employees to support LCEF investee companies
in Burkina Faso, India, Peru and South Africa
8,731Number of water filters distributed by
Nazava during fiscal year 2014
The LCEF is supported by the
DOEN Foundation
FY14 LCEF Review
21. 19The ERM Foundation Review 2014
Affordable energy from solar
powered battery packs in
South Africa
This year, the ERM Foundation’s Low
Carbon Enterprise Fund established a
new Incubator Fund to support pilot
projects and start-ups in the renewable
energy sector. Our first investment from
this Fund was approved this year for a
small venture in South Africa. Khaya
Power has created a solar powered
packaged battery called a “Juz Box”
that can be rented out within informal,
off-grid settlements in South Africa. The
conceptual idea is that people without
access to AC grid power or built-in solar
power are able to light their homes and
charge low powered devices such as
cell phones. In order to make the service
sustainable at the community level, Khaya
Power will train and equip members of the
community to run a recharge service as a
franchise and derive income from selling
the service and recharging the units.
More than three quarters of the cash flow
generated will remain in the community.
What have we done?
A team of ERM consultants led by our
Cape Town office has been working
with Khaya Power to refine the pilot plan
and develop a marketing strategy. Our
investment of US$12,000 will fund the
pilot within four communities, which
if successful, will enable Khaya Power
to attract larger investment and scale
its operations.
Learn more on Youtube:
Interview with Billy Hadlow of Khaya Power
“The first steps and finance are always the most difficult to raise. The ERM Foundation
has not only helped with funds, but their management expertise has been invaluable.
We are excited about finally testing our ideas in the real world.”
Dave Lello
Khaya Power
The people
ERM people profile
“It has been a privilege to work with Khaya
Power, a South African based energy
start-up, which was selected as an LCEF
Incubator fund project. Khaya Power aims
to power rural and townships homes in
Africa with portable batteries that can
be leased from local franchises, thereby
creating employment in communities.
We used some of the ‘lean start-up’
philosophies and tools with the two
founding members of Khaya Power in order
to help them refine their thinking and define
a set of experiential pilots to test their
business model. Working with Khaya Power
has been such a unique challenge, very
distinct from our typical client work, but
contributing even in a small way to the
shaping of this transformational idea has
been incredibly exciting and rewarding.”
Clemence McNulty
Cape Town office
LCEF Incubator Fund
22. 20
Organizations we have worked
with during the past year
Alaska Sudan Medical Project,
AK, US
Alley Pond Environmental Center,
NY, US
Alliance for the Great Lakes,
IL, US
Austin Youth River Watch, TX, US
The Art of Cultural Evolution,
FL, US
Avian Conservation Center,
SC, US
Avon Wildlife Trust, UK
BBOXX, UK
Bike Safe, UK
Bird Treatment Learning
Centre, Anchorage, AK, US
Blue Sky Fund, VA, US
CB Energie, Burkina Faso
Charles River Watershed
Association, MA, US
Checago Bright Foundation,
MD, US
Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley
National Park, OH, US
Conservation Corps Minnesota,
MN, US
Delaware River Steamboat
Floating Classroom, NJ, US
Ecologists without Borders
Engineers for Overseas
Development
Engineers without Borders
The Environmental Foundation for
Africa, Sierra Leone
Friends of Briar Bush, PA, US
Friends of Cedar Forest, Lebanon
Friends of Londiani, Kenya
Friends of National Park
Foundation, Indonesia
Friends of Roccolo Park, Italy
Galveston Bay Foundation,
TX, US
Georgetown University, DC, US
Global Green USA, LA, US
Godparents for Tanzania
Great Land Trust, AK, US
I am Gurgaon, India
Ikamva Youth, South Africa
Instituto Ana Rosa, Brazil
International Action, US
Kamworks, Cambodia
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful,
IN, US
Kenai Watershed Forum, AK, US
Khaya Power, South Africa
Lindsay Wildlife Museum, CA, US
Montana Roots, MT, US
National Aquarium, MD, US
Nazaza Water Filters, Indonesia
Nooksack Salmon Enhancement
Association, WA, US
OC Food Access Coalition,
CA, US
Oxfam, India
PAMS Foundation, Tanzania
Pennsylvania Resources Council,
PA, US
Plant the Seed, TN, US
Port Philip Eco-Centre, Australia
Project Colors, Mozambique
Rebuilding Together, CA, US
Reef Biology Research Group,
Thailand
Rocking the Boat, NY, US
The SEED Initiative
Society of Women Engineers,
FL, US
Takamoto Biogas, Kenya
Tampa Bay Watch, FL, US
The Food Project, MA, US
The Tree Project, Australia
Wind Aid, Peru
YODA, Italy
Since 1995, the ERM Foundation has disbursed c. US$2.7 million in grants to more than 200 non-profit organizations and since 2008
has donated c. 8,700 hours of technical pro bono time to support 160 non-profit organizations and social enterprises around the world.
23. The ERM Foundation Review 2014 21
Contact
details
If you are interested in collaborating with
the ERM Foundation or would like to
make an enquiry about our pro bono or
grant funding programs, please contact:
Shona King
Global ERM Foundation Manager
shona.king@erm.com
Janice Taplar
ERM Foundation Manager (USA)
janice.taplar@erm.com
UK registered charity number: 1113414
The ERM Foundation is a registered
501(c)(3) non-profit in the US and is also
registered in Australia and Germany
Foundation website:
www.erm.com/foundation
LCEF website:
www.ermfoundation-lcef.com
General enquiries: foundation@erm.com
ERM website:
www.erm.com
Front cover photo by Chris Mattingly,
Philadelphia office, US. Georgetown
University clean water project, Honduras
24. Supporting environmental causes around the world
ERM has over 150 offices across
the following countries and
territories worldwide:
Argentina
Australia
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
China
Colombia
France
Germany
Hong Kong
India
Indonesia
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Malaysia
Mexico
Mozambique
Netherlands
New Zealand
Panama
Peru
Poland
Puerto Rico
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Singapore
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States of America
Vietnam