Governments
As an extractive company, we see ourselves as a responsible custodian of the energy resources for the countries and the local communities in which we operate. The governments of our host countries grant us licences to explore, develop and produce resources, and they also oversee each stage of our operations, ensuring we meet the license commitments we have made.
It is our responsibility to fully understand the expectations of governments and to be aware of our duties. In return, governments should be attentive and foster conditions in which our industry can make the greatest contribution.
We engage with governments on shaping policy frameworks, operating out of key centers such as Washington DC, Brussels, Berlin, Beijing, Oslo and Stavanger. We raise policy and regulatory issues within a range of topics like climate change, environment, sustainable development, labour standards and human rights, anti-corruption and revenue transparency. We believe these issues should be discussed openly by involving policymakers and a wide range of stakeholders.
We also work with governments and civil society organisations to solve key environmental and social challenges through multi-stakeholder initiatives such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiatives (EITI), the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR), the Global Gas Flaring Reduction partnership (GGFR) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC).
Local communities
We know that our operations affect local communities and that collaboration and close dialogue with these are essential for safe and responsible operations. We always aim to create shared value and benefits for local communities, to prevent negative effects and to resolve any disputes through open dialogue.
When managed properly, our presence in a community or region has the potential to contribute to local and national development. We know that our ability to operate safely and reliably not only depends on official permits, but also on gaining the acceptance and trust from the communities near our operations.
In our local community engagement activities, we recognise that each country and community has its own unique traits, and we apply practices recommended in international guidelines and standards.
Our operational management system requires us to establish an open communication channel with community stakeholders to deal with any potential grievances (see also our Human Rights Approach). Our operations make use of public consultations, surveys, interviews, one-to-one meetings and community panels to better understand the expectations from local communities and to devise mitigation strategies and plans that best suit local conditions.
Civil society, international organisations and academia
We have a long-term perspective on how to improve our business and we depend on an open dialogue and partnerships with the broader society to achieve our business objectives and vision to shape the future of energy. We engage with media, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), international organisations and academics and research centres, which may provide specialised expertise on managing impacts. We believe a constructive dialogue with organisations that work to protect and improve human rights, transparency, climate action and the local environment, is of benefit to our business.
We have agreements with several well-known organisations that enable us to learn, share experiences and participate in specific actions designed to improve our environmental and social performance. Equinor has been working with the UN Global Compact since its establishment and is a founding partner of the UN Global Compact Action platform for sustainable ocean business. We are a founding partner of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, where we are represented at board level. We also support the multi-stakeholder initiative United Nations Sustainable Energy for All and work with academia and research institutions to find innovative solutions.
Industry associations, business partners and suppliers
We work with our peers and partners through bilateral dialogue and industry associations and partnerships. We share best practices, our positions and promote sustainable business through the value chain. Industry associations can often be better at representing the views of an industry than individual companies and are often a valuable partner for regulators in developing new framework conditions for our industry. Equinor is a member of a number of industry associations and chambers of commerce promoting good practices and sustainable operations.
Equinor is a founding partner of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative and we are members of several collaborative initiatives, such as IPIECA (the global oil and gas industry association for advancing environmental and social performance) where we play an active role. We are transparent about our climate-related memberships and engagements, and promote our positions on climate related issues such as a price on carbon and sound methane regulations in a consistent and open manner. More details are available in our CDP response .
We work closely with our peer companies on the prevention of accidents and emergency preparedness. Equinor has participated in the Subsea Well Response Project (SWRP), an industry collaborative effort run by the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) aimed at enhancing global well containment capabilities. We are also members of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA).
Investors
Through our capital market updates, roadshows and socially responsible investor day we reach out to ensure that all relevant information is available.
To further improve transparency and efficiency, we make all sustainability related data available here. We listen to and collaborate with the financial community to implement best practices and meet concerns and expectations. This includes reporting in line with the disclosure framework developed by the Task Force on Climate-related financial disclosures.
Employees
We engage broadly with employees to capture views from different parts of the business, across geographies. In all countries where we are present, we involve our employees and/or their appropriate representatives according to local laws and practices. This varies from formal bodies with employee representatives to team meetings. Through townhalls and digital channels including social media, we have an ongoing dialogue with our employees to capture ideas, expectations and concerns. Employees are also represented at board level.