Social Licence Community of Practice: Building Trust Through Better Practice
The purpose of this Community of Practice is to bring together people with boots on the ground in the energy transition to explore the challenges, learnings and opportunities to build and prioritise trust with landholders, communities, Traditional Custodians, Local Governments and other key stakeholders. We will do this through topical presentations and discussions exploring the themes of engaging meaningfully, managing impacts, realising benefits and being accountable.
Join the community
These sessions are open to anyone who would like to come along and learn. To attend these sessions on an ongoing basis, join the Community for Social Licence: Building trust through better practice. This will provide you with:
- Receive the meeting invitations directly in your calendar as soon as they are announced
- No need to register for individual sessions
- Have the opportunity to provide feedback and input into session format and topics.
Register for individual sessions
If you would prefer to register for individual Community of Practice sessions, keep an eye on this page and Energy Charter news for when registrations go live for upcoming sessions.
Meet the hosts
Melissa Pisani, Head of Communications + Stakeholder Engagement, Ark Energy
Melissa has more than 20 years’ experience working in communications and stakeholder relations, and joined the renewable energy industry in 2020.
Over the past five years she has been involved in stakeholder relations and community engagement for 14 utility-scale renewable energy projects.
As Head of Communications & Stakeholder Engagement for Ark Energy, Melissa guides and develops the company’s community engagement practice for a growing portfolio of renewable energy (wind, solar, battery energy storage, hydrogen) projects across New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania.
Melissa is passionate about the clean energy transition and facilitating it through inclusive and genuine collaboration with local stakeholders, to deliver meaningful, legacy outcomes for regional communities.
Alex Hall, Director of Community Benefits, EnergyCo
Alexandra leads a team that focuses on Community and Employment Benefit Programs funded via access schemes, Regional Development (including Telecommunications Uplift) and Social Procurement and Workforce Development, ensuring Network Operator Contracts are geared for community workforce outcomes.
Prior to joining EnergyCo Alexandra held several senior Ministerial positions in both State and Cth Governments, including for the former NSW Premier and NSW Treasurer.
Alexandra has also enjoyed time in the generation sector, working for ACEN in the CWO and NE REZs on utility scale solar projects and engaging in what was, at the time, draft policy papers from new entities EnergyCo and AEMO Services.
Raised on a beef cattle property in the New England, Alexandra is keenly aware of the local, social and political climate surrounding the energy transition, and the opportunities and challenges it can bring.
Resource library + recorded sessions
In this Community of Practice, we heard from Louise Pogmore and Hannah Lock from KPMG Australia, and Dr Kimberley Crofts, who delivered insightful presentations on their deep work unpacking the challenges facing the human side of this transformative era.
Take aways from the session
- The awareness-support gap: While awareness of energy transition is growing (34%), support isn’t keeping pace (66%). This highlights a critical challenge for our sector.
- We’re facing a transformation, not just a transition – especially in regional communities where we need to create genuine shared value.
- Trust requires three elements: ABILITY (demonstrating capability), HUMANITY (prioritising people), and INTEGRITY (ethical leadership). As Louise Pogmore noted, how we work with “humanity” may be our weakest link right now.
- Communities need more than consultation – they need voice, respect, and influence in shaping their futures.
- We need to expand our definition of “community” beyond directly impacted areas to engage with broader regional and public concerns.
Watch the recording:
In this session, we heard from experts and boots on the ground to better understand biosecurity management in today’s high-risk environment. With threats like bird flu, foot-and-mouth disease and other emerging biosecurity risks, it’s more important than ever to elevate how we protect farms and projects throughout the energy transition.
Hear from four speakers across agriculture, renewable energy and transmission operations who will share case studies and better practice solutions.
Queensland Farmers’ Federation – The farmer perspective
Dr Laurie Dowling, Agriculture and Biosecurity Coordination Officer, Queensland Farmers’ Federation shared on:
- Why biosecurity is critical for famers
- Why there are increasing concerns (changes over the last 30 years)
- Pathways for entry (kinds of risks)
- Biosecurity responsibilities
AusNet Services – Biosecurity management in the transmission sector
Taree Lamplugh, Engagement Lead, AusNet Services who shared on:
- AusNet’s approach to biosecurity management
- Recent project experience
Tilt Renewables – Biosecurity management in the renewables sector
Daved Owen, Environmental Compliance Manager, Tilt Renewables who shared on:
- Tilt Renewables’ operating context
- Overview of biosecurity management and measures during project development and construction
- Biosecurity management during operations including compliance, O&M contractors, inductions
ExoFlare – Biosecurity management software solution
Andrea Koch and Chris Aitken, Exoflare who shared on:
- Jurisdictional responsibility around Emergency Animal Diseases (EAD)
- Record keeping and good practice between entities – farmers and businesses
- Compliance with place-based biosecurity management plans + movement permits
- ExoFlare solution and how it looks in practice
- Data sharing + understanding the network and benefits
Download Andrea + Chris’ presentation
Watch the recording
What is social licence?
‘Social licence to operate’ is traditionally a concept that reflects community acceptance or approval around the operations of an organisation and its developments. It emerged in the late 1990s, as affected communities and governments required the mining industry to increase its focus on social obligations and corporate social responsibility programs. It is now considered a key condition for many other industries, including in the energy sector.
Establishing social licence is not simple, is easily lost and difficult to re-gain. The energy transition in Australia is well underway but has met resistance from the communities being impacted in the process. The outcome? Project delays, increased costs to consumers and declining trust in the energy sector.
Our approach
Through lived experience research, together with our research partner KPMG, we’ve identified that the key factors influencing social licence are:
- Trust from the community
- Genuine engagement
- Acknowledging and managing impacts
- Delivering benefits to affected communities
- Being accountable.
Social licence exists on a spectrum and is dynamic. It can be weakened and strengthened by the actions of businesses and communities at any point within a project lifecycle.
Want to know more?
If you would like to learn more about this Community of Practice, or upcoming sessions, please reach out to Martine Holberton, Director, Renewables or Heather Wagland, Director, Energy Transition.
Building social licence for renewable infrastructure projects, Better Practice Social Licence Guideline
