The Argentine Renewable Energies Chamber (“Cámara Argentina de Energías Renovables”, aka CADER) was founded in June 2006 as a non-governmental, non-profit association by Carlos St. James, whose background was in economic development and project finance in Latin America. He saw in the nascent biofuels boom a need for an institution that would serve Argentina well, providing structure to an industry with enormous potential for the country while creating jobs, diversifying its energy matrix and as a way to help create a cleaner world.
Together with Luis Rosales, a well known political analyst and fellow graduate from Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy – both of whom shared a passion for leadership development -- they also envisioned another opportunity that this could represent for Argentina: the potential in using an institution such as a chamber as a laboratory to develop a new generation of leaders. The institution’s founding principles were to establish a modern, dynamic and transparent organization, capable of giving structure and solid foundations to project it on the global stage and position Argentina as a leader on the global stage. It also consciously sought to nurture new leaders.
In October 2006 the Chamber began the arduous task of gathering members and believers in this vision, and in a short order gathered companies from the entire biofuels value chain. Among the founding group of members, special mention must be made of professionals such as Martin A. Bayugar, Ramiro Marini-Neyra and Juan Martin Nasi, whose vision and enthusiasm helped the Chamber gain momentum and establish itself in the marketplace.
On March 18, 2008, with over corporate 40 members, the Chamber took the next natural step and adopted the name “Argentine Renewable Energies Chamber” over the initial “Argentine Biofuels Chamber” to reflect the country’s enormous potential not just in biofuels but also in such sectors such as wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal energy, among others. In this short period the Chamber has established itself on the global stage as a very professional, trustworthy and adaptable institution that attracts professionals with a common passion: to establish Argentina as a global leader in what is becoming known as “the renewable energy century”.
Today the Chamber also interacts with many sister institutions worldwide. It represents its members’ interests not only before the Argentine government but to international and supranational institutions as well. The Chamber’s many talented members are placed in leadership roles early on, and with almost one hundred members to date, continues to push for rapid development of the renewable energies industry in Argentina and abroad.
We invite you to help in the development of this vision.
Join the Argentine Renewable Energies Chamber.