Key Projects in India and Greenland and CR Challenges
India
In Cairn India, CR is integral to its operations, with a lot of time and effort given to make local communities a partner in its progress.
Cairn India designs and implements its corporate responsibility initiatives in and around its areas of operation. These initiatives are structured to address the needs of the local communities in which we work.
Cairn also works closely with local administrative authorities and the key tenet of successful programme design and project implementation is a participatory and consultative approach which involves communities, non government organisations, and local government bodies.
The unique mix of initiatives enables the company to strike a balance between social and environmental needs.
Cairn India has made good progress in both developing and implementing its approach to managing the many CR challenges facing the business. Specific attention has been placed on the emerging CR issues such as assessing and managing biodiversity risks, security, human rights, and the potential impact of climate change in doing business.
Cairn India has found that the use of a ‘rights aware’ approach has helped to address some of the more complex issues that the Company faces and is working to raise awareness about this approach throughout the organisation.
Credible and well managed CR strategies with measurable indicators are an integral part of commercial advantage and shareholder return.
Our CR Objectives include:
- Generating awareness on HIV/AIDS
- Stakeholder management by consultations and engagement
- Addressing social economic grievances in the project affected areas
- Building an environment of trust, cooperation and goodwill in the community
- Improving the health infrastructure and supplement primary health care with focus on safe drinking water and sanitation
- Promoting sustainable livelihoods with special focus on women and to generate income and employment at local level through the “Microvendor” programme
Greenland
Capricorn has operated interests in six blocks and non-operated interests in two blocks offshore Greenland. There has been little oil and gas exploration in this area previously.
This key project represents an opportunity for Cairn to explore in arctic waters for the first time and as such there are significant CR challenges to be addressed. These range from health and safety issues, due to climatic extremes, to meeting the expectations of local people through to minimizing potential environmental impact.
In close partnership with the Greenlandic authorities rigorous stakeholder consultation and CR management planning is already underway to minimise the risks involved, these include:
- Operating only at certain times of year so as to avoid ice and extreme weather
- Avoiding/minimising impacts on wildlife (particularly endangered and vulnerable species) and environmentally sensitive sites
- Avoiding/minimising pollution of Greenland’s near pristine environment
- Appropriate level of stakeholder consultations to ensure that we understand local concerns and keep the necessary groups informed of our activities
- Ensuring that we meet and where possible exceed the Greenland and international regulatory requirements