ID: 1828
Presenting Author: David Collins
Session: 527 - The importance of effective communication for Impact Assessments
Status: pending
Woodside Energy: North West Social Transition – Managing the Energy Transition in the Pilbara
Woodside Energy’s North West (NW) Social Transition explores both growth and decline scenarios over multiple years to evaluate social and economic impacts for the communities in which it operates.
By integrating both growth trajectories and decline scenarios the assessment is focused on the potential impacts associated with operational transition, underlining a commitment to socially responsible resource development and the energy transition.
Underpinned by stakeholder and community interdependency mapping, the NW Social Transition combines quantitative and qualitative data to establish baseline conditions and identify emerging community priorities. Engagement with Traditional Owners, local and state government, industry partners, and community groups has informed the development of targeted Management Plans.
It aims to mitigate adverse outcomes while enhancing positive outcomes through local capacity building, employment programs, and social investment. Central to this effort is a continuous feedback loop with community representatives, ensuring transparent decision-making.
This paper showcases how Woodside is operationalising community insights to build and maintain a robust social licence to operate. It details methodological innovations, such as dynamic scenario modelling and socio-economic investment and enhancement, to foster trust and shared value creation. It outlines how Woodside challenges itself to develop frameworks to embed community engagement into strategic energy projects, balancing growth with social sustainability in the face of the energy transition.
David is an experienced impact assessment practitioner, who has worked in the area of social performance in Europe, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.