On March 21, 2023, Banyan Global announced that it will lead gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) work on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Investments in Developing Energy Assets (IDEA) Activity as a subcontractor to Black & Veatch.

The IDEA activity aims to improve Europe and Eurasia’s regional energy supply, security, reliability, and efficiency by identifying, assessing, and supporting the development of investments in all segments of the energy sector. Banyan Global will lead the GESI analysis and assessment of energy, water and sanitation sector investments to ensure women and girls and other vulnerable persons participate and benefit fully from investments.

“Our work on the IDEA Activity could not be more relevant, given the ongoing energy crisis in Eastern Europe and the surrounding region,” said Janice Stallard, Vice President at Banyan Global. “We are thrilled to work with our partners to ensure that the political, economic, and social rights of all people are included in the development of the energy sector investments and that they have access to, control over, and benefit from investments that proactively mitigate risks and harmful effects.”

The IDEA activity will operate across 11 countries in Europe and Eurasia including Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greenland, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.