GRI 413 Local communities

A key element in managing impacts on people in local communities is assessment and planning in order to understand the actual and potential impacts, and strong engagement with local communities to understand their expectations and needs. There are many elements that can be incorporated into local community engagement, impact assessments, and development programs. This disclosure seeks to identify which elements have been consistently applied, organization-wide.

Where possible, organizations are expected to anticipate and avoid negative impacts on local communities. Where this is not possible, or where residual impacts remain, organizations are expected to manage those impacts appropriately, including grievances, and to compensate local communities for negative impacts.

When reporting its management approach for local communities, the reporting organization can also describe:

the means by which stakeholders are identified and engaged with;

which vulnerable groups have been identified;

any collective or individual rights that have been identified that are of particular concern for the community in question;

how it engages with stakeholder groups that are particular to the community (for example, groups defined by age, indigenous background, ethnicity or migration status);

the means by which its departments and other bodies address risks and impacts, or support independent third parties to engage with stakeholders and address risks and impacts.

Organizations can utilize a number of useful tools to engage communities, including social and human rights impact assessments, which include a diverse set of approaches for proper identification of stakeholders and community characteristics. These can be based on issues such as ethnic background, indigenous descent, gender, age, migrant status, socioeconomic status, literacy levels, disabilities, income level, infrastructure availability or specific human health vulnerabilities which may exist within stakeholder communities.

When compiling the information specified in Disclosure 413-2, the reporting organization should:

report the vulnerability and risk to local communities from potential negative impacts due to factors including:

the degree of physical or economic isolation of the local community;

the level of socioeconomic development, including the degree of gender equality within the community;

the state of socioeconomic infrastructure, including health and education infrastructure;

the proximity to operations;

the level of social organization;

the strength and quality of the governance of local and national institutions around local communities;

report the exposure of the local community to its operations due to higher than average use of shared resources or impact on shared resources, including:

the use of hazardous substances that impact the environment and human health in general, and specifically impact reproductive health;

the volume and type of pollution released;

the status as major employer in the local community;

land conversion and resettlement;

natural resource consumption;