Core Service

Risk & Strengthening

Local Capacities

Fortalecemos capacidades locales y mitigamos riesgos ESG a lo largo del ciclo del
proyecto, desde el monitoreo territorial hasta el emprendimiento comunitario.

Our team combines geopolitical intelligence, ESG risk frameworks, and media analysis to support strategic decision-making. From human rights assessments to informal mining management and social investment programs, we design solutions that mitigate risks and strengthen the capacities of local communities.

Territorial Risk Monitoring (Country/Local)

Our country risk monitoring methodology is designed to provide forward-looking, actionable intelligence for clients operating in complex and rapidly evolving jurisdictions. We combine geopolitical intelligence, ESG risk frameworks, and media analysis to support strategic decision-making and ensure operational continuity.

It is a continuous process of analyzing and assessing economic, political, regulatory, and social dynamics that may affect our clients’ operations, investments, and value chains. We evaluate exposure across six interdependent risk dimensions tailored specifically to the mining and energy sectors.

Continuous and iterative monitoring, with monthly and quarterly updates that capture emerging trends, shifts in the risk environment, and opportunities for early mitigation.

Assessment Dimensions:

  • Political: Stability and predictability of the political environment, regulatory changes, electoral outcomes, and sector-related political discourse.
  • Legal: Strength of legal institutions, consistency of enforcement, reliability, and fairness of dispute resolution mechanisms.
  • Social: Social grievances, mobilization potential, protest history, and security conditions affecting workers and operations.
  • Operational: Natural hazards (weather-related events, seismic activity, flooding), infrastructure reliability, and supply chain integrity.
  • Economic: Macroeconomic trends (growth, inflation, exchange rate volatility) and their implications for investments.
  • Reputational: Country-related reputational risks, levels of media scrutiny, and civil society attention.

Human Rights Due Diligence and Background Checks

Embellie has extensive experience conducting Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) assessments that demonstrate our clients’ commitment to respecting human rights throughout their operations and supply chains.

Our teams gather data through direct stakeholder engagement—including workers, communities, civil society organizations, and expert analysis—to go beyond the identification of standard vulnerabilities. We also conduct in-depth assessments to identify broader societal human rights concerns that could affect our clients’ reputation and social license to operate.

Aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the OECD Guidelines for Know Your Customer (KYC) and Know Your Merchant (KYM) practices.

Our analysis covers:

  • Identification of standard risks — including child labor in artisanal mining and forced labor within supply chains.
  • Marginalized or at-risk populations — including the presence of vulnerable groups and child protection concerns.
  • Prevalence of gender-based violence — as well as issues related to discrimination, exclusion, and unequal access to opportunities.
  • Enhanced background checks — comprehensive due diligence profiles on key individuals and companies, identifying legal exposure and reputational risks.
  • Remediation measures and opportunities — including community supplier programs and circular economy initiatives designed to reduce dependence on high-risk suppliers.

Management of Informal Mining

From Peru to Sudan, Embellie has developed extensive expertise in engaging with informal mining communities. Building collaborative relationships with artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM) remains a significant challenge for governments, companies, and local communities across emerging markets.

Our initial engagement seeks to determine the nature, structure, and objectives of each informal mining community in order to design tailored strategies for highly diverse groups—ranging from illegal operations linked to organized crime to ancestral mining communities with legitimate territorial claims.

Our approach includes:

  • Enhanced background checks on individuals and communities across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia to assess potential links to criminal organizations.
  • Security protocols with graduated response mechanisms—from initial dialogue and mediation to engagement with security forces—implemented in accordance with the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights.
  • Community monitoring protocols that engage local leaders in the prevention and early detection of illegal mining incursions.
  • Pilot resettlement programs for affected communities, based on clear, balanced commitments between clients and displaced populations.
  • ESG and safety training agreements covering mining techniques, mercury-free processing methods, and environmental management practices.
  • Partnership models with ASM communities, including subcontracting arrangements, fair-price purchasing agreements, and integration into responsible supply chains.

Acquisition and Development of Capacities in Community Actors

At Embellie, we believe that sustainable relationships with local communities begin with trust—and trust is best built from within. Rather than relying solely on external experts, we prioritize the recruitment, training, and empowerment of local community members, integrating them directly into our project teams.

In countries such as Peru, Côte d’Ivoire, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and Mozambique, this approach has enabled us to identify and train young people from affected communities to participate in data collection, community liaison roles, participatory monitoring, and stakeholder engagement processes.

Impact of our model:

  • Strengthened community ownership and the ability to bridge cultural and linguistic divides.
  • Long-term value creation through skills development, employment opportunities, and enhanced capacity for constructive dialogue.
  • Development of resilient community institutions capable of engaging constructively with companies, governments, and civil society organizations.
  • Implementation of local content strategies, community supplier development programs, and circular economy initiatives.
  • Economic diversification and reduced carbon emissions through decreased dependence on imported goods and services from distant regions.

Support for Entrepreneurship and Social Investment Programs

We design and implement early-stage stakeholder engagement strategies that enable companies to build trust, foster meaningful relationships, and secure a long-term social license to operate. Our approach focuses on aligning the technical objectives of a project with the cultural values, priorities, and concerns of local communities.

We also work with operating mines, collaborating closely with employees and affected communities to strengthen their resilience while mentoring community leaders toward diversified and sustainable economic and social development.

Our initiatives include:

  • Entrepreneurship and livelihoods — initiatives tailored to the unique cultural and economic characteristics of each territory, building on local capabilities and traditional knowledge.
  • Leadership and organizational development — governance workshops, legal framework training, and financial sustainability programs for community leaders and local associations.
  • Local value chain development — mapping territorial products and services, business planning, and market access strategies.
  • Association professionalization — capacity-building programs to help organizations access investment funds and public resources, fostering long-term self-sustainability beyond the life of mining operations.
  • Women’s and youth empowerment projects — including food processing, sustainable handicrafts, ecotourism initiatives, and other livelihood opportunities aligned with local economic realities.
  • Strategic social investment — focused on education, environmental awareness, cultural promotion, workforce development, and economic inclusion.

Do you need to mitigate ESG risks in your operation?

Our team of experts designs tailored solutions that
strengthen local capabilities and mitigate risks throughout your project’s lifecycle.