UNews - C.D. Howe Institute

Researchers say resource sector can prosper by establishing social partnerships, engaging communities

trevor.kenney — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 18:06:54 +0000

Major resource projects are more likely to make it through the approval process and ultimately achieve economic success if industry first develops strong social partnerships with community stakeholders, says a new C.D. Howe Institute report authored by ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers Drs. Geoffrey Hale and Yale Belanger.

In the report titled, From ‘Social Licence’ to ‘Social Partnership’: Promoting Shared Interests for Resource and Infrastructure Development, Hale and Belanger identify best practices for successful community engagement by companies, industries and governments that have a proven track record of success.

Drs. Geoffrey Hale and Yale Belanger state that social partnerships have become a key element for energy and related infrastructure development.

“Social partnerships have become a key element for energy and related infrastructure development,” says Hale. “Failure to secure social acceptance increases the risks of litigation of a project or political conflict that creates significant barriers to economically viable resource development.”

The authors argue that achieving social acceptance for the development of major resource projects requires the establishment of a trusted relationship that involves multiple stakeholders in a mutually-beneficial framework.

“Public mistrust has fuelled opposition to major resource-related infrastructure projects, contributing to growing delays and more stringent regulatory conditions to secure project approval,” says Belanger. “These developments have created significant political and economic risks to the expansion of the energy and other resource sectors.”

Hale adds that, “Securing social acceptance largely depends on the degree to which companies and communities are able to achieve mutual trust contributing to ‘win-win’ outcomes that address overlapping but often-distinct priorities.”

The authors provide examples of successful multi-stakeholder synergy groups, government-led initiatives and corridor coalitions of groups across extended areas. They recommend a virtual handbook of best practices for industry, regulators and community leaders in the following areas:

• Building Multi-Stakeholder Groups and Networks: Local or regional industry working groups including industry representatives provide a valuable means of strengthening connections with local governments and communities, public health authorities and local emergency response professionals. These groups reduce risks, address community concerns, and respond more effectively to occasional emergencies.

• Multi-Jurisdictional Projects: Multi-jurisdictional initiatives require parallel processes that respect legal, institutional and social differences in various jurisdictions. The authors find successful examples of formal multi-jurisdictional advisory processes in British Columbia that could inform future negotiations elsewhere.

• Engaging First Nations and Aboriginal Communities: Consultation prior to detailed project design or approval has become a central factor influencing First Nations’ acceptance of resource projects affecting traditional lands.

Hale and Belanger conclude that achieving improved regulatory co-ordination and the cultivation of social acceptance are not either-or choices for restoring greater stability for resource development projects. Rather, they are complementary aspects of a larger process.

“Building and sustaining the legitimacy of resource development depends increasingly on the demonstration of ongoing commitment by industry and governments to the economic, social and environmental well-being of the communities in and through which they operate.”

The C.D. Howe Institute is an independent not-for-profit research institute whose mission is to raise living standards by fostering economically sound public policies. Widely considered to be Canada's most influential think-tank, the Institute is a trusted source of essential policy intelligence, distinguished by research that is nonpartisan, evidence-based and subject to definitive expert review.

The full report is available on the C.D. Howe Institute website.

Bjornlund study looks at water scarcity

trevor.kenney — Fri, 07 May 2010 21:51:06 +0000

Alberta faces water scarcity challenges that make it a bellwether region for better water management policies, according to a study recently released by the C.D. Howe Institute and created by ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge economics researcher Dr. Henning Bjornlund.

In The Competition for Water: Striking a Balance among Social, Environmental, and Economic Needs, Bjornlund writes that without a modern system for reallocating access to water, particularly from prior license holders to new users, Alberta's economic development and its ecosystems could be threatened.

"The commentary is my vision of how water management and allocation policies in Alberta can be reformed," Bjornlund said. "The information is informed by all my work both in Alberta and in Australia, and not least my involvement in the ministers Advisory group last year — which provided advice to the Minister of the Environment on a new water management and allocation policy for Alberta."

His findings and policy recommendations have potential application to other regions of Canada where water scarcity is a growing issue, including some watersheds in Ontario, the southern parts of the Prairie provinces, and in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley.

The challenge of dealing with water scarcity is nowhere better illustrated than in Alberta, he said. The province is home to 60 per cent of all irrigation in Canada and has a fast-growing population and economy.

Professor Bjornlund discusses how water markets could be used in the Alberta context and what supporting institutions would be necessary to enable them to operate effectively and fairly.

"For example, irrigation controls about 80 per cent of all water allocated in southern Alberta. Hence, there is little doubt that the consensus in the wider community is that some water needs to be reallocated out of irrigation to meet new needs, including those of the environment," Bjornlund said. "This will naturally impact irrigators and the communities depending on irrigation as their economic engine. How severe this impact will be depends on how such reallocation is carried out."

"The most pressing task for the Alberta government," he writes, "is to define waters within each watershed that need to be protected to secure environmental and other public benefits."

Bjornlund study examines water management

trevor.kenney — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 20:09:56 +0000

Alberta faces water scarcity challenges that make it a bellwether region for better water management policies, according to a study released today by the C.D. Howe Institute and created by ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge economics researcher Dr. Henning Bjornlund.

In The Competition for Water: Striking a Balance among Social, Environmental, and Economic Needs, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge economics professor Henning Bjornlund writes that without a modern system for reallocating access to water, particularly from prior licence holders to new users, Alberta's economic development and its ecosystems could be threatened.

His findings and policy recommendations have potential application to other regions of Canada where water scarcity is a growing issue, including some watersheds in Ontario, the southern parts of the Prairie provinces, and in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley.

The challenge of dealing with water scarcity is nowhere better illustrated than in Alberta, he writes. The province is home to 60 per cent of all irrigation in Canada and has a fast-growing population and economy.

Professor Bjornlund discusses how water markets could be used in the Alberta context and what supporting institutions would be necessary to enable them to operate effectively and fairly.

The most pressing task for the Alberta government, he writes, is to define waters within each watershed that need to be protected to secure environmental and other public benefits. Reforms should also aim to improve licensing systems structures and to introduce mechanisms to encourage water markets to work better.

UNews - C.D. Howe Institute

Researchers say resource sector can prosper by establishing social partnerships, engaging communities

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Bjornlund study looks at water scarcity

Related Topics

Bjornlund study examines water management

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