Credible Claim or Corporate Spin?: A Checklist to Evaluate Corporate Sustainability Reports

Ploeg, Lidewij van der; Vanclay, Frank

doi:10.1142/s1464333213500129

Cited by 23 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…For example, GasTerra is highly associated with the local basketball team (the GasTerra Flames), and in 1987 Gasunie donated 25 million guilders (about €11.3 million) towards the construction of the Groninger Museum. In general, however, there is little commitment by these companies to local social investment (Esteves and Vanclay, 2009;van der Ploeg and Vanclay, 2013), perhaps on account of the large amount they already pay to the national government.…”

Section: Stakeholders Involved In the Gas Extractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social impacts of earthquakes caused by gas extraction in the Province of Groningen, The Netherlands

Voort¹,

Vanclay

2015

Environmental Impact Assessment Review

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104

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Gas extraction from the Groningen gasfield in the northern Netherlands has led to localised earthquakes which are projected to become more severe. The social impacts experienced by local residents include: damage to property; declining house prices; concerns about the chance of dykes breaking; feelings of anxiety and insecurity; health issues; and anger. These social and emotional impacts are exacerbated by the increasing distrust Groningen people have towards the national government and the gas company, NAM, a partnership between Shell and ExxonMobil. The earthquakes have reopened discussions about the distribution of benefits from gas production and the extent to which benefits are retained locally. Mitigation of the impacts is attempted, but the lack of trust decreases the effectiveness of the mitigation measures. The extent of this experience of previously-unforeseen, unanticipated impacts suggests that a new social and environmental impact assessment needs to be undertaken, and a new Social Impact Management Plan (SIMP) and Impacts and Benefits Agreement (IBA) developed, so that the project can regain its legitimacy and social licence to operate. In addition to conventional gas, this paper has wider relevance for unconventional gas developments, for example shale gas extraction by hydraulic fracturing methods (fracking).

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Section: Stakeholders Involved In the Gas Extractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social impacts of earthquakes caused by gas extraction in the Province of Groningen, The Netherlands

Voort¹,

Vanclay

2015

Environmental Impact Assessment Review

Self Cite

104

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“…They claim that many organisations use the fact that they are reporting in the first instance, to carry on as normal without making any significant changes to their business practices, which paradoxically may lead to greater levels of un-sustainability. In order to improve the validity, or otherwise, of sustainability reports, Van Der Ploeg and Vanclay (2013) propose a sustainability reporting assessment 10-question checklist as a functional tool for use by stakeholders to evaluate the content of their sustainability reporting. Among the issues addressed by the questionnaire were (i) use of evidence to support claims and (ii) documented impacts of all stakeholders, including vulnerable groups and negatively affected groups.…”

Section: Sustainability Reportingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does an Embedded Wind Turbine Reduce a Company’s Electricity Bill? Case Study of a 300 kW Wind Turbine in Ireland

Kealy¹

2015

J Bus Ethics

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In recent years, a growing number of small-tomedium-enterprises are embracing wind turbine projects not only as part of their cost reduction strategy but also to actively play their part in the global fight against climate change. However, it would appear there are currently limited empirical studies carried out in this emerging industry. This case study analyses the cost effectiveness of one such wind turbine initiative by a company in the Republic of Ireland, who invested in a 300 kW embedded wind turbine project at the end of 2013. The research methodology which is primarily a case study analysis included comparing historical electricity utility bills which allowed the 2013 quantity of electrical energy units imported, i.e. the year before the turbine was installed to be compared with the 2014 value, i.e. the year after the turbine was installed. Numerous site visits were undertaken over a four-year period, during which electric meter readings were recorded and stored. The findings of this piece of research indicate that the installation of the embedded wind turbine had minimal positive effect on the annual electricity costs for the company. Indeed the turbine appears to have significant negative effects such as a need for an increased maximum import capacity and also it appeared to contribute to a deteriorating utility power factor. While the aesthetic nature of the on-site turbine seemed to create a positive image of the company, it would appear that caution should be exercised when business owners select alternative energy providers who claim to be experts in the energy field but may have limited knowledge in this area of wind energy, which as of yet has minimal robust research into all aspects of its benefits/attributes.

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“…The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) (https://www.globalreporting.org) is an independent organization that sets the standard for sustainability reporting. By improving sustainability reporting practice, especially regarding the veracity of claims and avoiding greenwashing [43], the GRI assists companies not only to communicate, but also to understand and better manage their impacts on local communities in relation to ESG and sustainability issues. Although its focus is on reporting, it is consistent with the other standards and advocates for compliance with them.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conceptualizing Company Response to Community Protest: Principles to Achieve a Social License to Operate

Vanclay

Hanna

2019

Land

104

122

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To gain a social license to operate and grow, companies should have effective community engagement activities, social impact assessment processes, environmental and social impact management procedures, and human rights-compatible grievance redress mechanisms in place. In this way, environmental impacts and social impacts would likely be identified and addressed before issues escalate and social risk amplifies. Companies also need to treat communities with respect and be mindful of local culture. Where these things are not done, there will be no social license to operate. Protests are mechanisms by which affected communities express their concerns and signal there is no social license. As argued in our previous work on conceptualizing social protests, protests are warning signs, as well as opportunities for companies to improve. Rather than let protest actions escalate, leading to violent confrontation and considerable cost and harm, companies should engage in meaningful dialogue with protesters. Unfortunately, company response is often inadequate or inappropriate. In this paper, we identify around 175 actions companies might take in relation to community protest, and we discuss how these actions variously have the potential to escalate or de-escalate conflict, depending on whether the company engages in appropriate and genuine interaction with protesters or if repressive measures are used. While effective engagement will likely de-escalate conflict, ignoring or repressing protests tends to provoke stronger reactions from groups seeking to have their concerns heard. When companies address community concerns early, their social license to operate is enhanced. We also outline the primary international standards companies are expected to comply with, and we identify the key environmental, social, and governance issues (ESG principles) that should be respected.proactively undertake actions to address the issues of concern and reduce the likelihood of protest. In this paper, we examine the wide range of reactive and proactive actions companies might take in relation to community protest, and we reflect on how these actions might affect the level of conflict with their host communities and the company's and project's social license to operate.Companies need to consider their actions and reactions carefully. If company reaction leads to escalation, this increases the amount of community protest and/or changes the type of protest action, which could lead to harmful outcomes to the company and community. Furthermore, communities and individuals have rights, and should companies use repressive actions, companies run the risk of violating the rights of local people, which could lead to reputational harm and legal action against the company well into the future [5][6][7]. The many legal actions the oil company, Shell, has had to face because of its actions (and inaction) in Nigeria in the 1990s is proof of this [8]. The negative publicity surrounding conflict can be harmful to the company's reputation and social license to op...

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Credible Claim or Corporate Spin?: A Checklist to Evaluate Corporate Sustainability Reports

Cited by 23 publications

References 36 publications

Social impacts of earthquakes caused by gas extraction in the Province of Groningen, The Netherlands

Social impacts of earthquakes caused by gas extraction in the Province of Groningen, The Netherlands

Does an Embedded Wind Turbine Reduce a Company’s Electricity Bill? Case Study of a 300 kW Wind Turbine in Ireland

Conceptualizing Company Response to Community Protest: Principles to Achieve a Social License to Operate

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