From 1997 to 1999, the core activity of HELIO International was called the Global Energy Observatory (GEO). In 1999, the HELIO Board decided that the name GEO should be changed to Sustainable Energy Watch (SEW) to describe better its expanding activities. Thus, documents generated prior to 1999 refer to GEO, while those produced after 1999 refer to SEW. Although the name has changed the activity and the efforts behind it remain the same.