Gran Tierra Energy’s operating philosophy, Beyond Compliance, influences the decisions we make on how we meet our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility. Beyond Compliance means that whenever possible Gran Tierra voluntarily goes beyond what is legally required to care for the environment and undertake respectful engagement with local communities.
To learn more about our social investment priorities and projects, view the story boxes below.
Sustainability Report
GTE is committed to sustainable activities wherever the Company operates by providing meaningful training and employment opportunities, a preference for local goods and services, and by investing voluntarily in social and environmental projects.
This is a fundamental philosophy that we align with the priorities of local and national governments for peace and stability that prioritize strengthening local economies, entrepreneurship, housing and incomes unrelated to the oil industry.
GTE’s social investment programs have benefited 354,770 people since 2018
USD $0M
spent on social investments
In 2023, GTE contributed $6.5M USD to social investments in Colombia and Ecuador
0%
female beneficiaries
52% of the beneficiaries of GTE’s social investments in 2023 were women
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Beyond Compliance
Gran Tierra Energy’s operating philosophy, Beyond Compliance, influences the decisions we make on how we meet our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility. Beyond Compliance means that whenever possible Gran Tierra voluntarily goes beyond what is legally required to care for the environment and undertake respectful engagement with local communities.
GTE stands proudly as an industry leader in Environmental Stewardship, in its compliance with regulations and international best practices, as well as through its voluntary initiatives that address local, national and international environmental issues. Together with local communities we can find innovative ways to protect and care for the environment, leaving it in a better condition than when we arrived.
Our Beyond Compliance philosophy is also integrated into our commitment to local communities. We take pride in being a reliable partner for local people and the institutions in host countries. GTE has developed effective social strategies that create economic opportunities that go well beyond the Company’s core operations and will continue its efforts to contribute to peace and stability through our social investment programs.
At the heart of everything GTE does, is a talented, dedicated and fully trained workforce that delivers value to all the Company’s stakeholders. Through hiring local talent, offering engaging workshops and skill improvement sessions, GTE is committed to going beyond to ensure its employees and contractors can reach personal and professional growth.
The following projects highlight the ways in which GTE goes Beyond Compliance for the environment, communities and economic development in Colombia and Ecuador.
Gran Tierra contributes to local, regional and national economic development in Colombia and Ecuador in many ways, including through taxes, royalties, jobs, local procurement of supplies and services, social investments, training and education programs and voluntary social and environmental programs.
In South America, the regions where energy resources are concentrated are often the most in need of sustained economic development. In addition to developing oil resources responsibly, Gran Tierra creates opportunities for employment, education, entrepreneurship and self-reliance.
The below projects show how GTE’s strategic investments are focused on creating opportunities and generating income and how this work is developing our neighbours, their businesses and is changing lives in the regions where we work.
Communicating with and listening to local communities that may be affected by company activities is a Gran Tierra priority. Many of Gran Tierra’s social investments focus on economic development, such as productive and business development initiatives which are critically important in post-conflict areas. Another priority for many local communities in rural areas are programs that strengthen capacities and leadership.
GTE has developed a social investments strategy that reflects the results of a broad study of community and GTE management. The strategy recognizes that two of the Company’s most important commitments are to build trusting relationships and to be a good neighbour. The objective is for the Company to be a trusted partner with the communities near its operations. Among its many provisions, the strategy calls for social investments to:
Be tangible and measurable
Align with business, Ecuadorian, Colombian and international social impact standards
Improve community feedback
To learn more about the way GTE works with communities to inform, educate and support local communities through projects and programs where they feel visible and heard view the stories below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFx7iPQo20E
Engagement with the Indigenous and Afro-descendent populations near our operations is an important part of the work we do. Gran Tierra follows all laws and regulations stipulated by the United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) Guiding Principles, and Colombian and Ecuadorian Law. At the heart of GTE’s success, building strong relationships is something very simple: respect for and understanding of the communities that it interacts with.
GTE believes the culture, beliefs, and worldview of ethnic communities represent a great value. At all stages of the Company’s projects, it seeks to go Beyond Compliance, applying the highest national and international standards in terms of prior consultation, respecting, and welcoming the world view of ethnic communities. In 2022, GTE provided valuable information to the Colombian Ministry of the Interior about the existence and possible direct impact on ethnic communities still unrecognized by the State. Thanks to the information shared by the Company, the Ministry of Interior was able to include several Indigenous communities to the Prior Consultation process. All eight Prior Consultation processes within the Génesis Project that were opened in 2022 have been successfully finalized.
For more information about GTE’s commitment to learning about its neighbours through listening and dialogue, while also protecting their culture and improving their quality of life, please read on to the stories below.
https://youtu.be/Vr0NSX-IlBc
Gran Tierra’s Human Rights Policy
Gran Tierra Energy is committed to respect the rights of employees, contractors, suppliers, and communities within its area of influence in the development of all of its operations and activities.
Although the primary responsibility for the protection of human rights lies with government, GTE promotes and respects these rights through joint actions between society, business and institutions. Through a Human Rights Risk Assessment process, we evaluate how our activities may impact communities. We engage with local communities to understand their human rights concerns and address incidents through dialogue and remedial action, if appropriate. We have established a culturally appropriate, accessible, responsive and transparent grievance mechanism that enables us to identify and address human rights incidents. GTE also has an open-door policy for dialogue with communities near its operations and a well-developed process for resolving any questions or concerns.
Gran Tierra Energy’s Human Rights Policy was developed with a full commitment to respect the internationally recognized human rights incorporated in the International Bill of Human Rights and the International Labor Organization Conventions ("ILO"), including the fundamental rights principles established in the ILO Declaration on fundamental principles and rights at work. Also, with the commitment to apply relevant international standards including:
The United Nations ("UN") Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights the United Nations ("UN")
The UN Voluntary Principles for Security and Human Rights
The OECD guidelines for multinational companies
The due diligence guide for responsible business conduct of the OECD
The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Gran Tierra´s Code of Business Conduct & Ethics
What are the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights?The Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights is a multi-stakeholder initiative with government, civil society and company participants. It promotes implementation of a set of principles that guide extractive companies on how to provide security for their operations in a manner that respects human rights.What are the Guiding Principles of the United Nations on Business and Human Rights?The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights are the authoritative global standard on business and human rights, unanimously endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council. The 31 principles set expectations of states and companies about how to prevent and address negative impacts on human rights by business.
GTE continues to take actions at multiple levels to guide its human rights practices:
Consolidates its human rights and business strategies, with the objective of securing the Company’s reputation as a leader in its approach to human rights.
GTE also prioritizes having a proactive approach to gender equality/parity and supporting vulnerable populations, such as Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities and children.
There are three main stakeholders when it comes to Gran Tierra’s Corporate Human Rights Policy:
Employees, Contractors and Suppliers: All employees and contractors receive human rights training. Employees are also trained in the prevention of human rights violations inside and outside the company. Contractors will be required to train their employees to prevent such practices. Employees are supported by a full-time human rights attorney whose job is to ensure that everything the company undertakes, complies with the Voluntary Principles on Human Rights. All GTE employees, contractors and suppliers have the obligation of knowing and respecting the Human Rights policy.
Local Communities: GTE is committed to a transparent, culturally appropriate and accessible grievance and claim mechanisms that will help facilitate an effective response to any potential incident related to Human Rights.
State Institutions: GTE will maintain an open dialogue with the local, regional and national government regarding security and Human Rights issues related to the operation. GTE will keep track of Human Rights investigations related to Company operations, and report to the authorities as soon as it becomes aware of any incident.
The following stories illustrate the extent to which GTE is committed to safeguarding the Human Rights of its employees, contractors, suppliers, and the communities surrounding our operations.
In addition to our general web site disclaimer, note that the statements on this site are drawn from various sources which despite adequate and proper efforts may contain inaccuracies.
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