How resilient is the social licence of energy cropping?

DrAlexBaumberResearchFellowin

InterdisciplinaryEnvironmentalStudiesTheUniversityofNewSouthWales

a.baumber@unsw.edu.au

"Overall, this is a valuable addition to the literature on bioenergy crops; it recognises problems, deals in the reality of ecological protection, and reflects the ever present interplay between politics, economics and environment. … its approach makes it relevant to a wide audience in environmental science/management“ Antoinette Mannion, in Bulletin of the British Ecological Society (Oct 2016)

https://www.routledge.com/Bioenergy-Crops-for-Ecosystem-Health-and-Sustainability/Baumber/p/book/9781138838833

WoodyEnergyCrops

http://www.crops4energy.co.uk/short-rotation-coppice-src/

http://www.oilmallee.org.au

Yu et al. (2007) – WA

Simpson et al. (2009) - Europe

GHG savings from second-generation biofuels based on EU data

Promo0onofwoodyenergycrops� EUencourageswoodyenergycropsforsecond-generationbiofuels(alongwithwastes)by:-  Allowingsuchfuelstobe“double-counted”againstnationalbiofueltargets

-  Cappingbiofuelsfromfoodcrops-  AllowingGHG“bonus”forenergycroppingthatrestoresdegradedland

� USpromotesbiofuelsfromwoodycropsandwastesindirectlythroughincreasingrequirementsfor“advanced”biofuelswithhighGHGsavings

Ques0ons� Wherewillwoodyenergycropsbegrown?� Whatwilltheyreplace(othercrops?forestryplantations?“idle”land?)

� Whatimpactswilltheyhave?� Willcropsthatrestore/protectlandbepreferredoverthosewithnegativeimpacts?

� Willtheyacceptedbylocalcommunities?

SocialLicencetoOperate(SLO)Malcolm Turnbull on banks: “They operate with a very substantial social licence and they owe it to the Australian people and their customers to explain fully and comprehensively why they have not passed on the full rate cut and they must do so”

McHugh report on greyhound racing: “the Parliament of New South Wales should consider whether the industry has lost its social licence and should no longer be permitted to operate in NSW”

SocialLicencetoOperate(SLO)� Cametoprominenceasaconceptintheminingindustryinthelate1990s

� AttributedtoCanadianminingexecutiveJimCooney�  Sinceappliedtoawiderangeofactivitiesincludingwindfarms,cottonfarming,forestmanagementandthecreationofprotectedareas

� Coulditalsohavevalueinplanningaroundapotentialincreaseinwoodyenergycropping?

Defini0ons� CSIRO:“ongoingacceptanceorapprovalfromthelocalcommunityandotherstakeholdersinvolvedinanindustry,projectoroperation”(McHugh2016)

�  “Intangible”and“unwritten”�  IanThomson(CanadianSLOexpert):Sociallicenceis“averypowerfulmetaphor,butisopentomisuse”

Shouldbebasedon“veryspecificrelationshipsbetweenthosewhoareimmediatelyaffectedorimpactedbyaparticularactivity”

www.farmonline.com.au

Regulatorylicence Sociallicence Communityacceptance

Howdoyoumeasureit?

Eitheryouhaveitoryoudon’t

Twoprimarystates(youeitherhaveitoryoudon’t),but:•  Highuncertainty•  Howresilientisit?

•  Matterofdegree(linear)

•  Specificsub-groupsmayberelevant

Processbywhichit’sissued

•  Regulateddecision-makingprocesses

•  Focusoninitialdecision(butalsoprocessestorenew/revoke)

•  Maintenanceofsociallicencejustasimportantasobtainingitinitially

•  Lossofsociallicencemayleadtolossofreg.licence

•  Noclearprocessordecisionpoint

Whichstake-holdersaremostcritical

•  Regulatoryagency•  Legislators•  Community

consultationprocessesinregulations

•  Localcommunity•  Influencedby

broadertrendsatregional,nationalandinternationalscales

•  Everyone?•  Specific

groups?•  Opinion-

makers?

Asystems-basedapproach�  Theconceptofasociallicencetooperatelendsitselftotheuseofsystemsthinking,whichhasafocuson:-Complexityanduncertainty-Integratedsocialandecologicalsystems-Thresholdsandfeedbacks(non-linearchange)-Fastandslowvariables-Adaptivecapacity-Resilience

�  PrnoandSlocombe(2014)developedasociallicenceframeworkforuseintheminingsectorthatisbasedonsystemsthinking,drawingonworkbyDanaMeadows,BuzzHolling,FikretBerkesetc.

SLO Resilience

Local variables

Outcomes/states - Is social licence issued? - does activity proceed?

Activity: - governance - company reputation - effects - economics - etc.

Community: - composition - needs & expectations - knowledge - trust - values, beliefs etc.

Relationship - history - expectations met? - communication - dispute resolution - trust

Multi-scale variables (regional, national, international)

Socio-economic conditions

Governance/institutions Biophysical conditions

System characteristics (change, uncertainty, feedbacks etc.)

Systems-based framework adapted from Prno and Slocombe (2014)

Resilience,thresholds&states� E.g.waterqualityinChesapeakeBay,US

http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/topics/ecosystems-restoration/resilience-and-recovery

Resilience,thresholds&states�  Sociallicenceofwoodyenergycrops

Early establishment phase (crops tolerated but mostly “under the radar”)

Key awareness event

Social licence obtained

Social licence lost

Disturbance/shock

Resilience

Researchques0ons� Whatarethecriticallocalvariablesthatdeterminewhetherasociallicenceisobtained?

� Whatkindsofdisturbancescouldanenergycroppingsystemencounter?

� Whatfactorsdeterminetheresilienceofyoursociallicencewhendisturbancesoccur?

Ø Whatcanwelearnfromexperiencesinothersectorsandfromfirst-generationbioenergycrops?

MiningandsociallicenceRedDogMine,Alaska(Prno&Slocombe2014)�  Keyvariablesincludelocalinvolvement,meetingneeds&expectationsandcommitmenttoenvironmentalprotection

�  Threatsincludelackoftrustingovernment,outsideoppositiontomining&somegroupsmissingoutonbenefits

�  Resilienceofsociallicenceisenhancedby:-wealthgeneration-maintenanceoflivelihoodsandculture-clearpropertyrights-healthyecosystem

MiningandsociallicenceCSIROAustralianminingstudy(Moffat&Zhang2013)�  Similarfocusonlocalengagement�  Buildingtrustiscrucial� Qualityofcontactismoreimportantthanquantity

Threats:�  Impactsonsocialinfrastructuresuchashospitals,childcareservicesandhousingavailability

�  Perceivedlackofproceduralfairnessindealingwithminingcompanypersonnelcanerodetrust

OthersectorsWindfarms(Halletal.2013)�  Fourcrucialthemesof:-Trust-Distributionaljustice(howbenefits&costsareshared)-Proceduraljustice(localdetermination&input)-Attachmenttoplace

Forestry(Dareetal.2014)�  Actuallymultiplelicencesacrossvariouslevelsofsociety�  Threats:lackoftrust,limitedstakeholderrepresentationandevolvingsocialexpectations

Changingexpecta0ons�  NZinearly‘80s:NGOscampaignedagainstnativeforestharvestandpromotedpineplantations

�  But…onceforestsprotected,morescrutinywasplacedonplantations-expectationsofmixed-speciesdesign,longerrotationlengthsandbetterintegrationintolandscapes

�  SimilarstoryinWA–TheGreenseventalkedupthequalityofwoodchipsfromplantationsandtheemploymentbenefitstheywouldprovide.

�  But…moreconcernswereraisedonceforestsbecameprotectedanditbecameapparentmanyplantationswerelarge-scalemonoculturesnotintegratedfarmforestry

Experienceswithenergycrops

First-genera0onenergycropsCornethanol�  Localsupportvsglobalconcerns�  SubsidiesandresiliencePalmOil�  Communityimpacts,landrights&environmentalprotections

� Whoisthe“affectedcommunity”?Jatropha�  RiskofhighexpectationsBrazilianbiodieseland“socialfuel”�  Roleofgovernmentinprovidingincentivesforsocialbenefits

ForestryresiduesforbioenergyForestrybioenergy,Tasmania&Bavaria(Rotheetal.2015)�  SociallicenceinBavariastrongduetotraditionoffirewooduseandcommunity-scaleplants.WeakinTasmaniaduetobroaderconcernsaroundnativeforestharvesting.

Alabamabiorefineries-forestbiomass(Baileyetal.2011)�  Communityownershipforlocalbenefit,notoilmajorsForestbioenergyinSweden(Edwards&Lacey2014)� Wholestumpremovalisacceptedforclimatechangereasons,butunexpectedimpactsandchangingattitudesarerisks

WoodyenergycropsSwitchingtowoodycropsinSweden(Ostwaldetal.2013)�  Drivers:environmentalbenefits,hunting,aesthetics�  Barriers:Knowledge,economicrisk,foodvfuel,aestheticsShort-rotationtree-cropsinUK(Dockertyetal.2012)�  Broadacceptancebasedonphotoimagery,butsomeconcernsaboutamenity,heavyvehicletrafficandfoodvsfuel

AcceptanceofbioenergyinIndia(Eswarlaletal.2014)�  Someconcernsraisedaboutbiomasscropimpacts,butmoreconcernsaboutbioenergyplants(airpollution,trafficetc.)

SociallicenceofWAmallee(Weldegiorgis&Franks2014)�  Communityacceptanceofsmall-scaleunharvestedplantings,butconcernsaboutharvesting,facilitiesandeconomicrisk

MalleecroppinginNSWCentralWest(Baumberetal.2011)� Motivatedbyeconomicsandlocaljobs,butconcernsaboutviability.Harvestforenergypreferredtocarbonplantings.

Potential benefits identified by interviewees

Oncarbonplantings:

“youlosecontrolofyourlandfor99years”

“It’sinhibitive,itdevaluestheland.”

“…hasnoappealtomebecauseit’saone-offpaymentandyougetanegativeforthesaleofcountry”

“Carbontradingisverypoliticalandairy-fairyandyoucan’tseeanyresult.Toosusceptibletopoliticalchange.Let’ssayyoulockupacontractfor100years-governmentschangeandideaschangeandit’stoolongatimeframeforwhat’sactuallyhappeningontheground”

Apreliminarylist…Keyvariablesforobtainingasociallicence

Potentialdisturbancesandthreats

Factorsenhancingtheresilienceofasociallicence

•  Trust•  Community

involvement•  Procedural

fairness•  Distributionof

benefitsandcosts

•  Alignmentwithvalues

•  Multiplelicences

•  Breakdownintrust•  Failuretomeet

expectations•  Interferencewith

attachmenttoplace/amenity

•  Changingexpectationswithincommunities

•  Economicfailure•  Outsideinfluencesand

controversies

•  Trust•  Long-term

relationships•  Maintenanceof

livelihoodsandculturaltraditions

•  Adaptabilityandflexibility

•  Ecosystemhealthandresilience

ReferencesBailey,C.,Dyer,J.F.,Teeter,L.,2011.AssessingtheruraldevelopmentpotentialoflignocellulosicbiofuelsinAlabama.BiomassandBioenergy35(4),1408-1417.

Baumber,A.P.,Merson,J.,Ampt,P.,Diesendorf,M.,2011.Theadoptionofshort-rotationenergycroppingasanewlanduseoptionintheNewSouthWalesCentralWest.RuralSociety20(3),266-279.

Edwards,P.,Lacey,J.,2014.Can’tClimbtheTreesAnymore:SocialLicencetoOperate,BioenergyandWholeStumpRemovalinSweden.SocialEpistemology28(3-4),239-257.

Eswarlal,V.K.,Vasudevan,G.,Dey,P.K.,Vasudevan,P.,2014.RoleofcommunityacceptanceinsustainablebioenergyprojectsinIndia.EnergyPolicy73,333-343.

Moffat,K.,Zhang,A.,2014.Thepathstosociallicencetooperate:Anintegrativemodelexplainingcommunityacceptanceofmining.ResourcesPolicy39,61-70.

Ostwald,M.,Jonsson,A.,Wibeck,V.,Asplund,T.,2013.MappingenergycropcultivationandidentifyingmotivationalfactorsamongSwedishfarmers.BiomassandBioenergy50,25-34.

Prno,J.,Slocombe,D.,2014.ASystems-BasedConceptualFrameworkforAssessingtheDeterminantsofaSocialLicensetoOperateintheMiningIndustry.EnvironmentalManagement53(3),672-689.

Rothe,A.,Moroni,M.,Neyland,M.,Wilnhammer,M.,2015.CurrentandpotentialuseofforestbiomassforenergyinTasmania.BiomassandBioenergy80,162-172.

ReferencesSimpson,J.A.,Picchi,G.,Gordon,A.M.,Thevathasan,N.V.,Stanturf,J.&Nicholas,I.2009.ShortRotationCropsforBioenergySystems:EnvironmentalBenefitsAssociatedwithShort-RotationWoodyCrops.IEABioenergyTask30,24p.http://www.shortrotationcrops.org/PDFs/Tech%20review%20No.%2003%20for%20web.pdf

Williams,K.,2009a.Communityattitudestoplantations:surveyoftheviewsofresidentsofsouth-westWesternAustralia2008.CRCForestryLimited,Hobart.

Williams,K.,2009b.Communityattitudestoplantations:surveyoftheviewsofresidentsofTasmania2008.CRCForestryLimited,Hobart.

Yu,Y.,Bartle,J.&Wu,H.2007.ModellingmalleebiomasssupplyinWesternAustralia.BioenergyAustraliaAnnualConference.GoldCoast,2007.

"Overall, this is a valuable addition to the literature on bioenergy crops; it recognises problems, deals in the reality of ecological protection, and reflects the ever present interplay between politics, economics and environment. … its approach makes it relevant to a wide audience in environmental science/management“ Antoinette Mannion, in Bulletin of the British Ecological Society (Oct 2016)

https://www.routledge.com/Bioenergy-Crops-for-Ecosystem-Health-and-Sustainability/Baumber/p/book/9781138838833