Social License Research Articles

Local acceptance of solar farms: The impact of energy narratives

This research explores how a new concept, support for energy transition narratives, and other commonly applied social licence factors influence local acceptance of large-scale solar farms. Producing renewable electricity requires deploying more large-scale renewable technology infrastructure and support of host communities will be paramount. There is a dearth of studies that investigate a comprehensive set of social licence factors that influence local support of solar farms. Moreover, there is a lack of research considering how broader environmental worldview and beliefs about the energy transition influence local level support for renewable energy infrastructure. Survey data from a large, representative sample of the Australian population is analysed using a network modelling approach to identify conditional associations between variables of interest. Results reveal that general support for renewables in the energy transition had relatively strong direct and indirect associations with local acceptance in addition to social licence factors. Conversely, beliefs about the energy transition beyond the role for renewables (i.e., support for the role of natural gas, support for exporting fossil fuels and willingness to make trade-offs for a faster energy transition) had relatively weak effects on local acceptance and other social licence factors. The findings suggest that individual alignment with broader energy transition narratives explains local solar farm support beyond social licence factors. Future social licence research should consider the role of broader public narratives when investigating the factors that facilitate or impede local acceptance of renewable energy projects.

Reframing the social acceptance of mining projects: The contribution of social impact assessment in the Brazilian Amazon

The popularisation of the Social Licence to Operate in measuring the acceptance of mining projects has stimulated the development of critical studies that question how the practical use of this management model has favoured the reduction of risks for the business without generating gains for the community. We propose in this article that the integration of Social Impact Assessment in Social Licence to Operate contributes to deepening the understanding of the social acceptance of mineral projects, especially in contexts of vulnerability. The objective of this research is to discuss the social acceptance of mining projects integrating the results of Social Licence to Operate and Social Impact Assessment approaches applied in a mineral project in the Brazilian Amazon. The methodological procedures of this research included document analysis, survey application, and interviews. The results show that Social Impact Assessment, by enabling the understanding of the local context and social impacts, serves as a complementary instrument to Social Licence to Operate measurement models. By giving voice to the local community, the use of Social Impact Assessment shows means that could effectively contribute to local development, based on actions involving the company and local government in order to act in the most sensitive areas that impact the community, such as its economic, social, environmental, and cultural challenges.

Sustainability of Informal Artisanal Mining in the Peruvian Andean Region

The purpose of this article is to reflect on the sustainability of informal artisanal mining in the Peruvian Andean area until the year 2022. The research is basic and non-experimental in design and ex post facto in scope. The sample consisted of crime prevention statistics on socio-environmental conflict from guardianship institutions and a television program on mining. Our research procedure focused on gathering secondary information for a documentary review analysis based on past proven and disseminated facts. Informal artisanal mining is strengthened in the Peruvian Andean area due to the following influencing factors: support represented as the social license granted by communal assemblies; the flexibility of governmental management in relaxing compliance related to formalization and preventive laws regarding environmental protection; the resistance to formalization and the 50% increase in socio-environmental conflict; and the 25% increase in production costs related agricultural activities, which promotes the displacement towards mining activities. The environmental sustainability consequences are as follows: limited reconversion of agricultural land-use change in one-third of the communal territories at the headwaters of the basin, which generates the displacement of environmentally friendly economic activity, and a parallel positive action is the impossibility of modification or intervention affecting water surfaces and wetlands due to communal agreements that mining companies must respect during operation.

A Delphi Study to Determine International and National Equestrian Expert Opinions on Domains and Sub-Domains Essential to Managing Sporthorse Health and Welfare in the Olympic Disciplines.

The public is increasingly questioning equestrianism's social license to operate. While the focus historically centered on horseracing, increased scrutiny is now being placed on how dressage, showjumping, and eventing are addressing equine management and welfare concerns. Nominated equestrian federation and equestrian organization experts (n = 104) directly involved in international and/or national-level horse sports took part in a four-stage, iterative Delphi to obtain consensus on what factors should be considered essential to manage sporthorse health and welfare. Five core domains were agreed as essential: training management, competition management, young horse management, health status and veterinary management, and the horse-human relationship. Two further domains: stable and environmental management, and welfare assessment were rated as important but not essential, as most respondents felt that these areas were already managed well. Participants felt increased education and guidance combined with further policy development and regulation are needed to support stakeholders to optimize sporthorse management. An appetite to engage with research to generate evidence that promotes sporthorse welfare was evident. The development of a sporthorse welfare charter and evidence-based guidelines to inform the management and monitoring of sporthorses' health and welfare are recommended to provide horses with a good life and to safeguard the future of equestrian sports.

Social license as a tool to negotiate environmental sustainability

Social license as a tool to negotiate environmental sustainability

The progression of disclosures in the basic materials industry of South Africa

AbstractConsidering debates surrounding the usefulness of integrated reporting for decision‐making, this exploratory study uses objective measures to investigate the quality of disclosures other than financial in the basic materials industry of South Africa. Annual and integrated reports for the basic materials and consumer discretionary industries are evaluated over 12 years, from 2008 to 2020 for a total of 1204 firm‐year observations to investigate whether (1) integrated reporting brought positive change and (2) whether reporting improved over time. Readability and narrative tone analyses are conducted, and non‐parametric Kruskal‐Wallis tests are used to investigate the development of these measures over time. The results show that corporate reports in the basic materials industry decreased in quality over time in that the reports have become longer, less readable, and use specific narrative tones, which can create biases. The findings reveal that the declining quality of reports in the basic materials industry could mislead or deter investors, challenge regulatory oversight, and ultimately, impact firms' social licence to operate. Thus, they offer actionable insights for firms to improve disclosure by reducing complexity and length and adopting a neutral narrative tone to mitigate biases, thereby making these reports more accessible and useful for a wider stakeholder audience. In addition, investors ought to demand better reporting, and regulators should tighten guidelines.

Horse racing and the growth of hashtag activism

ABSTRACT The Melbourne Cup is Australia’s pinnacle horse racing event, attracting more than 80,000 physical attendees each year (pre-COVID-19), as well as numerous others watching via live broadcasts around the country and overseas. In recent times, however, there have been growing calls to boycott the event, following concerns over the treatment of horses. New hashtag movements lobbying against horse racing have also emerged, aided by the affordances of social media. However, very little attention has been paid to these digital movements in the animal-based leisure and recreation literature. In this study, we investigate one such growing movement, namely, #Nuptothecup. We explore how horse racing is framed by digital activists, revealing their moral, socio-cultural, and political objections. Our findings suggest a societal shift towards a strong animal ethics sentiment combined with a more generalised disdain towards the racing industry and its wider societal ramifications. We argue that if #Nuptothecup and related activisms continue to gain momentum, the Cup may eventually lose its social licence to operate. Further, we consider potential opportunities for managers to reinvent horse racing’s image and practices, if it is to secure its survival as an Australian recreational institution.

Animal welfare science: an integral piece of sustainable insect agriculture

Abstract The insects as food and feed (IAFF) industry represents one of the largest undertakings of industrial livestock rearing in human history, with at least a trillion animals reared each year and massive growth potential. As other livestock industries have grown, animal welfare science has become an essential field for maintaining socially responsible, ethical, and sustainable industry practice. Like traditional livestock industries, the IAFF industry could also benefit – ethically, socially, and economically – from a field of welfare science. Here, we present three economic reasons for considering animal welfare in intensive production systems: (1) improving production outcomes, (2) maintaining social license to operate, and (3) differentiating products. In each case, we provide examples from established livestock industries that highlight how the field of animal welfare science can benefit producers. Further, we provide examples of how the IAFF industry would benefit from the support of a dedicated field of welfare science. We end by calling attention to key partnerships between entomologists, welfare scientists, and producers that could advance the common goals of these stakeholder groups, as well as animal welfare in insect agriculture.

Investor state dispute settlement (ISDS) and the social licence to operate of international business: An analysis of controversial cases

This paper analyses how the challenging of regulation by multinational enterprises through the investor state dispute settlement (ISDS) process impacts the social licence to operate (SLO) of international business (IB). Drawing on the analyses of controversial ISDS cases, it makes four key contributions. First, it proposes a framework for better understanding SLO and presents strong evidence that the use of ISDS has undermined SLO, not only of the involved companies, but also of IB more widely. Second, it extends the literature on corporate political activity (CPA) by drawing attention to the importance of litigation strategies, largely ignored in prior research. Third, it contributes to the literature on the externalities of CPA by exploring how certain tactics can undermine public trust and SLO. Last, it expands our understanding of the ‘dark side’ of CPA beyond illegal activities and government capture, to ethically questionable strategies.

Used like Pawns or Treated like Kings? How Narratives around Racehorse Welfare in the 2023 Grand National May Affect Public Acceptance: An Informed Commentary.

The 2023 Grand National steeplechase race was delayed when protesters from the animal rights group, 'Animal Rising', gained access to the course just prior to the race. The international media spotlight was focused on what is already a high-profile event and the social licence of both this race and racing in general was scrutinised. Both at the time and for several days afterwards, the general public was exposed to two different narratives from pro- and anti-racing communities. This paper discusses these perspectives and the potential impact on the general public's relationship with racing. Whilst well-meaning and aiming to promote racing, much of the racing industry's commentary inadvertently risked damaging its reputation due to a poor understanding of social licence principles. We explore the reasons for these two groups' alternative perspectives on welfare and suggest considerations for change. Ultimately, if 'the people's race' is to maintain its social licence, the racing community needs to both understand and embrace the concept. Welcoming independent opinions, engaging with different viewpoints, accepting that change is inevitable and, most importantly, being proactive in making changes to prioritise equine welfare will all help racing to move towards greater public acceptance.

Techno-legal expertise and the datafication of the state: Big data, accountability and the value of a social license with institutional roots

As governments around the world become increasingly datafied, debates are emerging about the best ways to attend to the complex socio-political implications of big data and the datafication of the state. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with senior executives and data experts within Australian government agencies, high-level privacy experts, and other experts in public sector data integration, this article examines how a sociotechnical imaginary about data-driven, democratic government acts within and alongside routinely bureaucratised forms of techno-legal risk management to inform the work of Australia’s data integration experts. Notably, these techno-legal experts recognised the limitations of techno-legal data management, and mobilised notions of the social license when seeking to (re)orient the trajectories of data integration towards the democratic, data-driven government they envisage. Contributing to debates about the datafication of the state, we argue that while a social license will not be a panacea to all the complexities of datafication, a social license with institutional roots is essential to deepen accountability towards publics, and to help ensure that datafication can be co-produced by, and reflective of, the sociotechnical futures envisaged by a broader range of publics.

PENGARUH STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, SOCIAL MAPPING DAN PENERAPAN CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TERHADAP KETERCAPAIAN SOCIAL LICENSE TO OPERATE)

This study intends to analyze the effect of stakeholder engagement, social mapping and the implementation of Corporate social responsibility on the achievement of a social license to operate at PT Semen Gresik Rembang Factory. This study used a sampling technique by taking purposive sampling as a sample. The instrument for taking the questionnaire was for 355 respondents, namely the people who are in the environment of PT Semen Gresik Rembang Factory. The research data was processed as a quantitative description using path analysis techniques using application software and supported by primary data using a questionnaire. The results of this study indicate that: (1) Stakeholder engagement has a significant effect on the achievement of a social license to operate; (2) Social mapping has a significant effect on achieving a social license to operate; (3) corporate social responsibility has a significant effect on the achievement of a social license to operate; (4) Stakeholder engagement, social mapping and corporate social responsibility simultaneously influence the achievement of a social license to operate.

After 50 years of social impact assessment, is it still fit for purpose?

Social impact assessment is a field of applied social research that is now over 50 years old. With its ongoing evolution in practice and thinking, social impact assessment is a valued part of project development and will continue to be so. Over time, there has been a shift in understanding, from social impact assessment being a regulatory tool to now being the process of managing social issues throughout the life of a project. The range of issues considered has become much wider, now also including human rights. More than a tool or approach, social impact assessment is a discourse, a body of scholars and practitioners, a paradigm, and a philosophy about development and the rights of affected communities. The proper consideration of social impacts is now expected by all project stakeholders and is a requirement of international standards and project financing. There is now recognition of the need for projects to gain and maintain social acceptance, or a social license to operate and grow. Key current issues include: human rights; doing good rather than just doing no harm; benefit-sharing arrangements; Indigenous-led social impact assessment and community-based social impact assessment; and gender, LGBTQI+, two-spirit people, and intersectionality. Social impact assessment is increasingly being used to assist communities in negotiating Impact and Benefit Agreements (or Community Development Agreements).

Incorporating the Social License to Operate into International Investment Law: Taking Stock from the Brazilian Experience

Abstract The social license to operate can be broadly defined as the social acceptability of an investor’s business practices by local communities. This article argues that the social license to operate can be incorporated into international investment law by allowing for local communities’ participation. The Brazilian cooperation and facilitation of investments agreements (CFIA) are used as a benchmark to sustain this argument. I explain that the CFIAs make room for the social license to operate at a procedural and at a substantial level. First, local communities can participate in the dispute prevention procedures provided for by CFIA. By this means, they bring a third party’s perspective into the investor-State relationship by voicing its concerns on the investors’ activities. Substantially, this can be supported by the detailed provisions on corporate social responsibility enshrined in the CFIA and which can be invoked by the local communities during the dispute prevention procedure.

Proxy wars, the parklet, and the university: challenges for urban design

ABSTRACT Changes in government funding to universities require that they pursue new opportunities. Some respond by moving campus operations from suburbs to inner cities. Some draw on temporary and tactical urbanism to enhance placemaking and accessibility. In the process, they must acquire and hold a social licence, which is not guaranteed. This research involved analysing such outcomes in an in-depth account of one university’s attempt to develop a temporary parklet in a central business district as part of its own suburb-to-city relocation. That work revealed a proxy war about retail trading, vehicles and on-street parking, and universities’ fundamental purposes.

Mistik Management Ltd.: clearing the way for economic reconciliation

Theoretical basis To ensure that students are well prepared to successfully analyze this case, they should be familiar with the following concepts, theories and principles: ▪ Stakeholder theory ▪ Concept of duty to consult and accommodate ▪ Concept of social license to operate (SLO) ▪ Concept of indigenous economic self-determination ▪ Indigenous world view ▪ Seventh generation principle ▪ Cree principles ▪ Dene principles Research methodology The information provided in this case was gathered by the authors through face-to-face interviews, phone interviews, e-mail exchanges and secondary research. Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) separates business operations from council operations through use of corporate entities (as shown in Exhibit 1 of the case). Meadow Lake Tribal Council II (MLTCII) is the corporate entity that oversees two companies referenced in the case: Mistik Management and NorSask Forest Products LP. Interviews were conducted with the General Manager at Mistik Management, Certification Coordinator at Mistik Management, Chief of Buffalo River Dene Nation, Chief of Waterhen Lake First Nation, MLTC Vice-Chief, Board Member and Advisor to MLTCII, President and CEO of MLTCII, MLTCII Business Development Consultant and a former consultant with MLTC, NorSask Forest Products and Mistik Management. Case overview/synopsis Mistik Management Ltd., a forestry management company co-owned by the nine First Nations of MLTC, was a leader in economic reconciliation in 2022. However, the company had dealt with significant challenges not long after it was established in 1989. Richard Gladue, former Chief of the one of MLTCs Member First Nations and a leader in economic development at MLTC, had been actively involved in establishing the organization. Gladue loved the life and vitality of the boreal forest in the Meadow Lake region and felt a sense of responsibility to take care of the forest and the land for generations to come. This responsibility was balanced with the acknowledgement that the forest also provided vast economic development, employment and wealth generation opportunities for MLTC and its Member First Nations. In the early 1990s, MLTC and Mistik Management dealt with a year-long blockade by a group of protesters that included members of Canoe Lake Cree First Nation, one of the Member First Nations of MLTC. They had not been consulted on Mistik’s processes and policies, and the company’s clear-cut logging had affected their ability to continue their traditional way of life and practices on the land. After the incident, Mistik Management moved more quickly to invest in a co-management process that they were still refining and using in 2022 when consulting with Indigenous groups and communities. A natural resource economy brings together Indigenous peoples, industry and government. In this case, students will learn about the important role that relationships play and how decisions are made when balancing complex legal, environmental and economic interests. Students will learn about the history of duty to consult and accommodate in Canada; conduct a stakeholder analysis and reflect on how decisions affect stakeholder interests; and make recommendations for meaningful Indigenous engagement strategies using the concept of social license and indigenous principles. Complexity academic level This case is suitable for use in undergraduate courses on indigenous business, ethical decision-making, public policy and/or natural resource development. There may also be applications in other fields of study, including anthropology, economics and political science. If the case is used in an indigenous business course, it would be best positioned in the last third of the class, after topics such as duty to consult and accommodate, social license and meaningful engagement with indigenous communities have been covered. If used in an ethical decision-making course, it would be best used when discussing stakeholder theory and engaging in stakeholder analysis. If used in a public policy course, the case could be used to start a discussion around the duty to consult and accommodate indigenous communities in Canada. If used in a natural resource development course, the case would be best used as an example of indigenous economic development.

To Treat or Not to Treat: Public Attitudes on the Therapeutic Use of Antibiotics in the Dairy Industry-A Qualitative Study.

This paper describes the views of 779 U.S. residents on questions related to therapeutic antibiotic use in dairy cattle. An online survey was conducted with qualitative (open-ended) questions. Respondents were offered one of three scenarios with varying degrees of information describing a farmer with a sick cow that would benefit from antibiotic therapy. The text replies to the open-ended questions were analyzed by grouping responses with similar comments and identifying patterns or themes. Content analysis showed that many of the participants in this study provided farmers with the social license to treat sick cows with antibiotics; however, some participants commented on the social license not necessarily extending to antibiotic use for growth promotion or prophylactic use. Our findings are not generalizable, but may provide some insight that should be considered when developing policies and practices regarding the use of antibiotics on dairy farms that may promote improved alignment with societal values.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Legitimacy: Colombian Caribbean Insights

The success of companies and the recognition by the community in which they are inserted depends on the confidence that the company generates in this community and the approach to local development formulated by the community. In this sense, the impacts of CSR and the recognition of the company as an important agent within the community forge the reputation of the company in terms of its management and interrelations with the community. To analyze the factors that influence the recognition and legitimacy of companies by communities, this paper analyzes the communities’ perception of territorial development and the impacts of CSR activities agreed in the social licenses in the context of Law 21/1991 on Prior Consultation in the Colombian Caribbean. Communities value investment in training and education from primary school to professional training, as well as income-generating practices. They also value respect for their culture, race, customs, and environmental wealth. CSR actions in healthcare do not provide greater legitimacy to the company. The same is the case with actions aimed to improve the relationship between suppliers and companies, as well as to strengthen the leadership of the community.

Work it out: Investigating the effect of workload on discomfort and stress physiology of riding school horses

Riding schools play an essential role in the equestrian industry and in education. These establishments are reliant on horses to work for numerous hours, often with riders of different abilities. However, little is known about the impact workload has on the well-being of these horses and effective monitoring of welfare is required for animal-based industries to maintain their Social Licence to Operate. The aim of the current study was to investigate how the quantity of work carried out by riding school horses affects their behaviour and physiology, providing evidence as a starting point to identify suitable levels of work that riding school horses can be used for before their welfare is compromised. Horses (n = 30) were observed 1–2 h after completing their workload on a day of Rest, Moderate (1–2 h) and Hard work (3–4 h). Infrared thermography of eye temperature (IRT) and heart rate variability (RMSSD) were measured as indicators of arousal. The Horse Grimace Scale (HGS) was scored treatment-blind to measure discomfort and pain. No significant difference was found between RMSSD or eye temperature depending on the level of workload, indicating subjects were able to cope with increasing demands. However, there was a significant difference in the HGS score between Rest, Moderate and Hard work (p < 0.001). This indicates a greater degree of discomfort following an increase in hours of work. Another possible explanation for the increase of the HGS score is that tiredness can influence the presence of some of the FAUs (e.g., backward ears and orbital tightening) making it more difficult to discriminate between whether a horse was in pain or the increased score is a consequence of being physically tired after the work. Findings indicate that 1–2 days of working 3–4 h can be appropriate in horses conditioned to the work in well managed riding facilities, however further research is needed to determine how long increased HGS lasts to determine how often days of hard work may occur without impacting welfare.

Equestrianism's social license to operate: assumptions, reality and the future

Horse sports and equestrian activities are high risk to the horses and people undertaking them. Societal views on using animals for human entertainment are changing and there is increased debate on how animal welfare is safeguarded. Traditional management systems that reduce opportunities for expression of normal behaviour and high levels of disease and injury in horses interacting with humans have increased public scrutiny on the use of horses by humans, resulting in equestrianism's social license to operate being questioned. A social license to operate is a virtual license from society to engage in an activity – without this, the future of equestrianism is under threat. This review explores what constitutes a social license to operate and considers how stakeholders in the equestrian sector could work together to generate an effective social license to operate to ensure horses have a good life in all aspects of their relationship with humans.