As we build more and more renewable energy projects around the world, we engage with an increasing number of communities. For it to be a just transition, these communities need to play a part in shaping it, and to share in the benefits it can generate.
Why do we want a just transition where local communities thrive?
We can only be successful in accelerating the green transition if we have the support and trust of the communities where we work – communities where we’ll be present for decades to come.
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We aspire to build green energy projects that live up to the demand from customers and communities to shape the build-out together with communities and use it to deliver benefits to them.
We want to be a trusted partner to our communities. We’re building large infrastructure projects near their homes. We know that our projects hold the potential to bring new economic opportunities to communities too, so we are keen to identify how we can best realise these opportunities together with our communities.
What are we doing?
To help communities realise the opportunities our projects bring, we’re exploring initiatives within action in areas such as:
- Growing industrial ecosystems. We’re committed to creating local jobs and supply chain opportunities. But beyond this, we want to support the growth of whole industrial ecosystems that can develop local talent, grow local businesses, and promote local innovation.
- Including disadvantaged communities. We want the opportunities renewable energy brings to be accessible to marginalised groups in the places where we work.
- Designing for coexistence. We want to strengthen communities’ participation and engagement throughout the design of our projects so that the build-out not only delivers a positive impact for people but is done in collaboration with people.
- Designing for coexistence. We want to strengthen communities’ participation and engagement throughout the design of our projects so that the build-out not only delivers a positive impact for people but is done in collaboration with people.
How are we doing?
We’re still in the process of developing targets and indicators for this sustainability programme. So far, most of our KPIs in this area relate to inputs (e.g. spend) and outputs (e.g. how many jobs we create). We want to go further and find ways to measure and track the effects of our socio-economic impact.
Latest updates from 2022
In 2022, we launched a new cross-market, cross-functional project to strengthen this programme. Through the project, we achieved three things.
- We identified the action areas described above, which set the direction for our work in this area.
- We identified areas where we want to strengthen the integration of our communities’ management systems into our asset projects.
- We strengthened links between this sustainability programme and our human rights programme.
We also continued to engage with communities across our markets, with community initiatives including the following three examples:
- In the Polish commune of Choczewo, we developed a pre-commencement community fund through a participatory project design process that will fund sustainable development projects chosen according to the priorities of the local community.
- In New York in the US, we committed USD 300,000 to fund a pre-apprenticeship programme to recruit and train workers from historically disadvantaged communities for local construction jobs.
- In the UK, we started a consultation with the community to help shape the Hornsea 3 Community Benefit Fund, which will distribute GBP 700,000 each year for its first ten years.
Key information
Partnerships
In each of our markets, we engage with the organisations that can best support us in ensuring that our projects benefit communities, including:
- Trade unions (e.g. North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU))
- Universities (e.g. National Changhua University of Education (NCUE) in Taiwan
- NGOs (e.g. Centre for Civic Initiatives in Poland)
- Other non-profits (e.g. GrantScape, an independent non-profit organisation managing
our community benefit funds in the UK)
International frameworks
- International Finance Corporation Performance Standards on Social and Environmental Sustainability
- UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
Governance
Accountability lies with our Head of Global Stakeholder Relations and heads of regions.
Policies
This programme contributes towards the following Sustainable Development Goals:
