INDICATOR: 11.15.3
Operations with significant actual or potential negative impacts on local communities
HELLENiQ ENERGY’s aim is to conduct operations in a socially acceptable manner by upholding stakeholder relations based on continuous and transparent engagement and dialogue with the objective of achieving mutual benefit that will contribute to sustainable local, social, and environmental development.
Therefore, key to maintaining relations with the local community in which we operate is to first of all identify all internal and external stakeholders that not only may be socially impacted by our operations, but may benefit by our company’s social initiative programs that are aligned to help minimize negative social or environmental impacts and create value for local community needs.
Note that all our facilities carry out environmental impact assessments where risks to the local community are anticipated by first identifying and assessing them as well as monitoring and managing them during facility operation. Significant impacts may occur in the stages: beginning of a new activity, its operation or decomissioning. Based on the Group’s current strategy, only the second stage (operation) is considered significant for the next 5 years.
Information on the management and use of shared natural resources is publically disclosed on our website regularly covering all regulatory requirements following third party verification procedures and certification. In addition, a grievance mechanism is in place for any stakeholder – employee, supplier, customer, local resident, etc.- to accommodate any incidents of negative impact from our operations. The procedure commits to investigating, verifying and remediating any complaint of a negative impact reported through a direct grievance, the media or other means. Our proactive response and stakeholder engagement in the local communities that are influenced directly or indirectly by our operations not only affects our local communities’ sustainable development goals but also ensures that we maintain our social license to operate.
The environmental management of impacts and risks related to our facilities’ operations are presented in detail in Chapter ‘Climate change’: emissions, climate change, air quality, resource use, education, investments, biodiversity protection, impacts on health and safety (Chapter ‘Our People – Health & Safety’ and local communities (Chapter ‘Value creation – Local Community Relations’).