BrazilGMI Consulting named most innovative company of 2018 in Mexico
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Mexico has awarded the Mexican project management consultancy GMI Consulting the title of the most innovative company in Mexico.
GMI Consulting is a Mexican consultancy specialised in management consulting in the field of social, environmental and infrastructure projects. The firm has a focus on energy projects and development across the country and has since inception worked on multiple development projects in the sector.
The company’s mission is to achieve the development of sustainable energy and infrastructure projects in Mexico which are both environmentally sustainable and in harmony with local inhabitants. This is done through a rigorous analysis of social and environmental conditions to identify the potential risks and conflicts of interest and by ensuring that those conflicts are resolved transparently.
"GMI Consulting accomplishes the highest standards of inclusion, transparency and stakeholders' engagement in support of sustainable development," said the firm’s Founding Partner and CEO María Nieves García-Manzano in welcoming the COBA Award for Innovation.
Mexican consultation of Indigenous population
GMI Consulting have been working with local organizations and indigenous groups to contextualise energy production and infrastructure conflicts. There have been a number of conflicts between both hydrocarbons and alternative energy companies and local populations in the recent past.
For example, there are instances where compensation falls short of the community due to land ownership conflicts and where agricultural workers lose land for the production of traditional crops. Residents have also had concerns that the electricity produced will not be used locally and that their land will be left devastated by construction.
Due to a lack of community engagement in energy production projects, the Mexican government has passed legislation that indigenous populations must be consulted with in regards to developments. The laws mandate that the Energy Minister carry out a prior consultation with local indigenous communities that may be affected by a hydrocarbon or electricity project.
The process to legal framework which includes indigenous groups in the consultation process is intended to foster community engagement and increase transparency. “Without any domestic law obligating the Mexican state to carry out prior consultations, it was something that occurred only infrequently, usually at the request of a particular community,” García-Manzano said in an interview with NGI’s Mexico GPI.
The development comes at a time of heightened interest in wind farming in the Central American country. The projections for 2018 by the Mexican Wind Energy Association state that Mexico should produce over 5,000 megawatts of electricity this year, an increase of 25% over 2017.
GMI Consulting
The consulting firm has been working to resolve conflicts of interest with an interdisciplinary approach for social and environmental assessment. By using participatory and qualitative methodologies for development projects, GMI engages host communities and encourages their participation in the planning and development of projects.
García-Manzano has been working in social and environmental management for the past 13 years. She has extensive knowledge of environmental and social problems within the Republic of Mexico, a wealth of project management experience, and strong dispute resolution strategies.
"Our firm is devoted to attaining Mexico's inclusive development, always focusing on vulnerable population as women, children, elderly, and indigenous people," said García-Manzano. "GMI Consulting is committed on the sustainable development of Mexico in the 21st century respecting human rights according to international best practices," she added.
