Social Impact Assessments

Our principal social challenges continue to be managing local community expectations for employment, together with local economic development and land acquisition plans where these are required. To assess any such potential impacts associated with our operations, we employ tools such as SIAs and social baseline surveys to inform the development of Social Management Plans throughout the business.

SIAs have historically been incorporated into joint ESIAs, such as those we carried out in 2005 for potential seismic operations in Nepal. We have also carried out social baseline surveys to inform our social investment activities at different stages in the life of our production plants.

In Greenland, we are carrying out, for the first time, a dedicated SIA alongside an EIA for the proposed drilling programme in 2010. The development of this SIA is being informed by a significant consultation process with national and local authorities, employee and employer organisations, community groups and NGOs.

On completion, this SIA will be subject to a public hearing process in Greenland. The outcome will be an Impact Benefit Agreement which defines the relationship between Cairn, national authorities and local authorities in maximising development opportunities and mitigating social impacts.