| ObsCop |
EDF supervised the third edition of ObsCop, the Observatoire climat & opinions publiques (i.e. French climate and public opinion monitoring survey), which is a poll organised by IPSOS in 30 countries based on a representative sample of 24,000 people. Its aim is to produce an international overview of opinions, knowledge, expectations and levels of public engagement regarding climate change in order to provide food for thought and contribute to the constructive identification of solutions for the future. The full results are available as open data (2). |
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The culture of dialogue promoted by EDF group constantly seeks to improve and encourage social innovation at grassroots level and in the immediate environment of projects.
EDF is a partner of France’s new Versailles-Marseille National School of Landscape Architecture (École nationale supérieure des paysages de Versailles-Marseille, ENSP). It provides regular consultancy support for projects and infrastructures that raise landscape integration issues. EDF and ENSP have produced a best practice guide for infrastructure managers and project managers.
| Ricanto power plant, Corsica | The planned construction of the Ricanto power plant led to a consultation being held between 19 May and 24 May 2021. High levels of participation by non-profits led to discussions being engaged on topics such as atmospheric emissions and the risks of flooding and submersion. However, EDF PEI noted poor attendance among Ajaccio residents and those living close to Vazzio. To address this, it implemented new informational resources, including a quarterly newsletter and a dedicated website with an FAQ system. |
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The practical outworking of dialogue relating to local situations takes the form of action plans: from a very early stage, these include a question and complaints handling process. One example is the project in Nachtigal (see section 3.3.2.3.4 “Implementation of human rights commitments”).
EDF group constantly monitors the quality of stakeholder dialogue and relations. An internal guide to evaluate consultations (in the “Stakeholder dialogue” collection) destined for managers and project managers has been put together jointly with EDF entities. An intranet site has also been set up to improve experience-sharing between project teams.
This is the clearest benefit of engaging dialogue directly at stakeholder level.
| Atlantic Shores wind farm (USA) | As part of the consultation, Atlantic Shores has committed to taking care of the environment, more specifically via a programme to attenuate its impacts on marine mammals; this includes acoustic monitoring and vessel speed limits. Atlantic Shores will also avoid pile-driving during right whale migration periods and at night. |
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Dialogue and consultation encourage questions to be raised, thereby improving project design; this can result in significant changes to developments, routes, and the location of structures.
| Reconfiguration of the Poutès dam |
A steering Committee set up under the auspices of the Haute-Loire prefect brought together all project stakeholders (elected officials, environmental protection non-profits and government departments) to validate each major stage of the Nouveau Poutès project. Co-developed in partnership, the project engaged all stakeholders in every aspect of the project, including technical aspects, scientific monitoring, local integration, and communication. |
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At present, the first spawning grounds upstream from the temporary dam have confirmed the appropriateness of the co-developed solution, with the return of spawner salmon. This innovative governance will continue throughout the lifetime of the infrastructure. The Nouveau Poutès dam will be commissioned in 2022. |
(1) There are many other initiatives to listen to customers and ensure that consultations are publicly reported. Examples include the Sustainable Development Barometer (Baromètre Développement Durable, BDD), the in-house environmental perceptions barometer (BIPE), and Ma Rivière et Moi, a digital information exchange and multiservice data platform developed by EDF Hydro.
