Assessing and Managing Social Impact in Energy Industry

Social sustainability is about identifying, analysing, and managing business impacts, both positive and negative, on people. Companies affect directly or indirectly the wellbeing of their employees, workers in value chains, local communities, and customers, and it is important to manage impacts proactively. Businesses’ social license to operate largely depends on their social sustainability efforts. These efforts contribute to improved risk management and stakeholder relationships. They may also open new markets or other opportunities for
business development.

The role of companies in socially sustainable development is emphasized in various global frameworks, e.g., the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the  principles of the UN Global Compact, IFC performance standards and OECD Guidelines. At the same time, more binding requirements for companies including their global value chains are being discussed e.g., in the European Union.

A Social Impact Assessment is a systematic procedure used to identify, analyse, mitigate, manage, and monitor the potential positive and negative effects of business activities on people. It can be carried out as a separate process or integrated e.g., with environmental impact assessments.

The training course will provide participants with a comprehensive understanding on the different phases of a social impact assessment process and guidance on its participatory implementation with emphasis on identifying, assessing, and  managing social impacts. The course is vital to all those involved in social
sustainability work and stakeholder engagement in their companies.

The training will be conducted with participatory training methods including interactive presentations, discussions, team exercises on concrete examples, and parking lot for questions from participants. Besides the presentations, the training materials include examples of useful tools and sources of additional information.