Impact
Social Impact
Energy/Water Impacts
- We help enable residents to set up businesses that can feed off of the tourism growth through electrification. This can be crafts, jewelry, and other products that will be bought by the tourism traffic entering the islands
- We will also directly lead to the employment of power plant staff, which includes security, operators, and administrative and accounting staff.
- We support LGU and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) programs to increase seaweed production and value
- We execute and operate the microgrid in close cooperation with the Electric Cooperatives (ECs), which are the official Distribution Utilities in most areas. This allows for the ECs to strengthen their technical capabilities in power generation which directly benefits the communities who are stakeholders of the cooperatives
- Lighting allows for safer communities during night time, as less crime is committed in more well-lit communities
- Students are able to study with much more ease during the night with lights in their household.
- Kerosene lamps are no longer used, decreasing the chances of household fires
- Refrigeration allows for higher quality medical care from island clinics, as more types of medicine can be stored. Easier access to cold and hot water will also allow for proper first-aid procedures (hot and cold compress-related procedures)
Biomass Impacts
Carbon Reduction – Reforestation
- Melia Dubia yields over 260 tons of biomass per hectare, trees harvested in a way that does not require replacing = SUSTAINABLE
- Carbon content of Melia Dubia >40% from absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere
- One hectare of Melia Dubia produces enough O2 for 523 people, therefore 2,000 hectares enough for 1 million+ people
Job Creation
- A 2,000 ha plantation will create a direct livelihood for 1,600 people, predominantly women from marginalized communities
- Semi-skilled jobs created for tractor and truck operators during the planting/harvesting
- Indirect economic benefits created from support services (transportation, meals, etc.)
Biomass Impacts
Candlewick 3 Pillars of Development
- Throughout its project sites and in partnership with its corporate foundation, Element works to help poor communities attain an improved quality of life. It does so by following its three pillars of development: Capacity Development, Environment and Partnership Building.
- The pillars guide the specific activities the company foundation implements such as: forest restoration [1-2]; increasing access to books and other learning materials for children in poor villages [3]; and providing support through relief operations [4] and medical missions [5]