Minimizing the negative impacts and maximizing the positive impacts
Our aim is to do this with the impacts that arise due to our operations. Therefore, we work hard to learn about the context and the particular social, economic, and cultural aspects of the areas where we operate and identify the impacts our operations may have.
Due to the nature of our operations and our presence in numerous countries, we are aware that our activities affect a large number of very different populations in very different ways. In order to address this challenge, we have a set of processes and activities aimed at preventing and mitigating our impact and maximizing social opportunities in the communities.
Performing Environmental, Social, and Health Impact Assessments (ESHIA)
The first thing we do prior to beginning our operations is to perform an environmental and social baseline study to know and analyze the context as well as the area's specific social, economic, and cultural aspects.
Similarly, and in collaboration with local public authorities and social organisations, we identify the stakeholders to be aware of their expectations, needs, concerns, and aspirations. Among these stakeholders are neighbors, local authorities and associations, our customers and suppliers, in addition to all those who are legitimate holders of rights which we may impact.
To that end, we perform Environmental, Social, and Health Impact Assessments (ESHIA). These assessments ensure that all potential impacts are identified as early as possible in the life cycle of a project, so that they're taken into account in the project's own design with the goal of preventing and mitigating their effects. The impact themselves and those resulting from our commercial relationships are taken into account, including the Extractive Business Partners. The social impacts include impacts on human rights.
Developing a social impact assessment methodology
As of 2011, we have a company-wide internal regulation on environmental, social and health impact assessments that includes human rights in this assessment process.
The scope of this regulation includes the human rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the principles regarding rights established in the International Labor Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and the eight Fundamental Conventions that implement them.
In 2014, we developed our own assessment impact methodology. It is an internal support guide for units that perform environmental, social, and health impact assessments that incorporate a focus on human rights as part of the impact assessment process.
The phases of this methodology are as follow:
Designing solutions for possible impacts
Given the nature of our operations and our presence in numerous countries, we are aware that our impacts vary.
Our potential impacts mainly arise in refineries and chemical facilities or in our exploration and production operations. Based on each context and local situation, using constant, participatory and proactive dialogue, we search for solutions in each case by actively cooperating to repair any harm caused by our activity or that of our partners and contractors, among whom we promote knowledge and compliance to our commitments. Once we have identified the impacts, they are shared in a transparent way with the local community through constructive dialogue accessible to all.
Resettlement and use of lands
We recognize and respect the rights of the villages and legal rights holders over their lands and natural resources, and we make the means available for protecting them, especially in the case of those groups who are most vulnerable.
In accordance with this commitment and the requirements included in our regulatory framework, prior to the start of any activity, feasible alternative designs are considered to minimize the acquisition of land and restrictions on the surface and subsurface land and soil use, in order to avoid resettlement and adverse impacts on the communities and people who use those lands.
Once the location has been selected, we identify the owners and land users with the help of official mechanisms in each area. Additionally, and with the aim of preserving the rights of those most vulnerable, we perform an active search for any other potential legal rights holders, like indigenous communities who use the land or one of its resources. In Canada, we have a great example of how we've carried out this identification.
When resettlement is unavoidable and before proceeding with the project, the following evaluation and compensation measures will be taken:
Identification and management of human rights risks
We have an organization, procedures, and systems in place that enable us to reasonably manage these risks to which it we are exposed, being an integral element of our Group's decision-making processes, both in the area of corporate governance bodies and in business management.
Human rights risks are integrated into corporate management as part of the Integrated Risk Management System (IRMS), both in the management of strategic risks (reputation and image) and operational risks (code of ethics and conduct).
Within the operational risks, the risks that affect the Repsol Code of Ethics and Conduct that can also affect human rights are analyzed and managed:
Additionally, within the strategic risks, risks on human rights are included within the image and reputation risks, which may be compromised in case of breach of the commitment to respect human rights set forth in our Code of Ethics and Conduct, as well as in the Human Rights and Community Relations Policy, or that individuals or groups unrelated to Repsol managed to extend the opinion, not necessarily founded, of the Group's breach of its commitment to respect human rights.