The Association for Private Capital Investment in Latin America (LAVCA) recently recognized Atlas Renewable Energy with the 2021 Gender and Diversity Award. The company won the award specifically for its Female Workforce Program. Atlas received the award during the Seventh Annual Latin American Private Capital ESG Deal Awards on June 2nd. Above all, LACVA aims to support the growth of private capital in the region.
Recognizing a champion of gender diversity
Actis, Atlas Renewable Energy’s sponsor and an active member of LAVCA, initially submitted the program. Actis also received recognition for supporting social and gender diversity through one of Atlas’ initiatives. A distinguished panel of institutional investors from development finance institutions, insurance companies and pension funds determined the winners.
Atlas Renewable Energy’s Female Workforce Program “We are all part of the same energy” was particularly notable. It specifically aims to improve local women’s access to employment, entrepreneurial opportunities and leadership positions across the corporate value chain. The program initially established an ambitious target. It chiefly aimed to increase female representation in the construction workforce of the company’s solar projects from 2 percent to 10-15 percent.
Encouraging gender diversity in the energy sector
The program has become Atlas’ ESG flagship initiative in the communities where the company is building new renewable energy projects in Brazil, Mexico and Chile. With this, Atlas aims to address the existing gender gap in the renewable energy sector. Furthermore, the program directly aligns with five of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: #5 – Gender Equality, #8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, #10 – Reduce Inequalities and #12 – Responsible Consumption and Production.
“We are all part of the same energy” was created with the intention to develop technical skills in the local female workforce such as electricity, mechanics, quality control, carpentry and environmental management which will grant women access to better job opportunities within the construction of Atlas’ own projects under execution or others being developed in their communities. At the same time, Atlas mobilized its contractors to prioritize women who participated in the trainings during their hiring process.
“To this day, the program has trained close to 700 women in three countries and plans to reach 1,000 in the coming months. As the projects advance and others are added, we expect an increase in these results and, at the same time, a change in paradigm within our industry and the communities we touch,” said María José Cortés, Head of ESG at Atlas Renewable Energy. “It is an honor that Actis and Atlas are both being recognized for their shared vision toward gender diversity. The female workforce program is proof that good corporate social responsibility inspires and promotes best practices beyond the office and that it can positively impact our society.”
About Actis
Actis is a leading investor in growth markets across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Actis delivers consistent, competitive returns, responsibly, through insights gained from trusted relationships, local knowledge and deep sector expertise.
Founded in 2004, Actis has an unparalleled heritage in growth markets, set within a culture of active ownership. Actis has raised US$19bn since inception. It employs about 300 people, including a team of about 120 investment professionals, working across 17 offices globally. Actis’ investors’ capital is at work in about 100 companies around the world, employing over 120,000 people.
To learn more about Actis, visit: https://www.act.is/
About Atlas Renewable Energy
Atlas Renewable Energy is a renewable energy generation company. It develops, builds and operates renewable energy projects with long-term contracts across the Americas. The current company portfolio is 2.2GW of contracted projects in development, construction or operational stages. The goal is to expand by an additional 4GW in the next years.
Atlas Renewable Energy launched in early 2017. The company includes an experienced team with the longest track record in the solar energy industry in Latin America. The company has high standards in the development, construction and operation of large-scale projects.
Atlas Renewable Energy is part of the Energy Fund IV. Actis, a leading private equity investor in the energy sector, founded the company. Atlas Renewable Energy’s growth is focused on the leading emerging markets and economies. Its proven development, commercialization and structuring know-how accelerates the transformation toward clean energy. By actively engaging with the community and stakeholders at the center of its project strategy, the company works every day to provide a cleaner future.
To know more about Atlas Renewable Energy, visit: www.atlasrenewableenergy.com.
Read about how COVID-19 has exacerbated the workplace gender divide.
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