The new challenges of social acceptance of industrial projects

In this report, Enea analysed social acceptance challenges and shares its lessons learned concerning the costs of inactivity for industrial project developers.

Social acceptance is the result of concerned stakeholders jointly constructing the conditions under which a project can be integrated harmoniously into a natural and human environment. Today the classical approach of "Decide, Announce, Defend" is becoming increasingly less viable. Obtaining a "license to operate" has become an essential prerequisite for the integration of new infrastructure. Without it, projects eventually risk an expensive social embargo. It is therefore necessary to engage in consultation to progress forward with shared values. This means the project developer should:

• Understand the context: The context of the implementation for each project is unique. It is crucial to understand the specifics, to identify all project stakeholders and how they may be affected.
• Open-up the consultation: An approach of transparency and the willingness of project developers to enter a process of co-creation can generate the necessary trust to establish dialogue. However, to be relevant, this dialogue should be initiated as early as possible, from the design phase. The use of supportive decision-making tools to structure the dialogue, particularly with the prioritisation and analysis of the evolution of stakeholder perception, will support this process.