"AREVA at a glance" brochure
Stakeholder relationships in Niger
Dialogue and consensus building
Our commitment: Encourage dialogue, a source of progress
Dialogue and consensus building are 2 key elements for better listening and understanding between AREVA and its external stakeholders. These discussions help the company to gauge people’s concerns, take account of these concerns in its areas for improvement, and keep stakeholders informed of its strategy and operations.
Concrete objectives
- Develop and maintain relationships of trust with the group’s immediate environment and with external stakeholders in particular
- Expand discussion and enhance initiatives and development goals based on external concerns and expectations
- Improve community involvement from a sustainable development perspective
Tangible results
Improving the response to local stakeholder expectations
Mapping local stakeholders
Innovest, a non-financial rating agency, identified an initiative to structure AREVA’s relationships with external stakeholders that began in 2003 as a strong feature. This initiative involves identifying major issues (e.g., environmental, economic, social and societal) between a site and its stakeholders through interviews conducted by a third party.
The exercise enables sites to compare internal and external perceptions of their operational issues and to evaluate the quality of its relationships with external stakeholders, with a view to improving community involvement.
Deploying the measure internationally
By the end of 2009, 41 mapping exercises had been conducted in 7 different countries: France, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and India. In 2009, 3 sites has been involved in a first exercise. Site managers drew up action plans to continue or develop initiatives that would best address the issues and stakeholders expectations.
Building consensus externally
A willingness for dialogue
This initiative enables the group to be particularly attentive to its overall environment. AREVA’s executive directors and a panel of stakeholder representatives meet for 2 half-day, closed-door discussions on topics related to sustainable development and the group’s corporate social responsibility strategy.
The group is committed to the process in the long term and has held meetings every 18 months since 2004. At AREVA’s request, an external facilitator supports the group during the process, which is based on business ethics and operational standards. Among these rules, the confidentiality clause requested by a majority of stakeholders applies to the identity of participants and to the entire content of the discussions.
The session’s main themes are shared with the group’s Executive Committee and various departments. At the same time, the facilitator prepares a summary for public release on the group’s website.
the "Stakeholders Sessions" summary reports
The group has gradually extended consensus building to other parts of the world. In November 2009, it held its first session in North America. The proceedings will be available shortly.
Naturally, there are other opportunities and forums for discussion. Below are several examples:
Other AREVA-stakeholder initiatives in France and around the world
Local information commissions (France)
Group representatives are involved in the local information commissions’ regulatory process, which applies to sites with one or more regulated nuclear facilities. The process aims to minimize risks related to these facilities by providing better information to local residents and stakeholders. Periodic meetings cover the main results of environmental monitoring and provide information on risks related to the facilities in question. The local information commission brings together elected representatives, environmental protection organizations, trade unions, employees, medical professionals and “qualified people”.
For example, in 2008, Tricastin site managers took part in 3 local information commission meetings on Tricastin’s major energy facilities, including a special meeting on July 18 following an incident at the Socatri facilities.
Public inquiries (France)
As part of the regulatory process for public inquiries, information packages on the group’s industrial operations (development projects in particular) are provided to the public so that they can learn about the project, ask questions and give their opinion.
For example, in 2008, public authorities held a public inquiry on a request to permanently shut down and dismantle regulated nuclear factility INB 80 (HAO) at the La Hague site. The inquiry gave the public a chance to ask more than 60 questions, which were answered by site managers.
Multi-party expert groups (France)
These technical discussions enable scientific experts from various backgrounds (representatives of institutions, industry and associations, French citizens and foreigners) to raise issues with several different perspectives and share their opinions with national public authorities, local information commissions and any other relevant local body. AREVA representatives take part in these expert groups when they concern the group’s operations.
For example, a multiparty expert group on uranium mining sites in Limousin was created in 2005, at AREVA’s request, to critically evaluate the technical information provided by AREVA on its Haute-Vienne mining sites and to give government and the operator a clearer picture of the options for long-term facility management and monitoring.
Health observatories (international)
In June 2008, the group announced that it had signed an agreement with SHERPA and Médecins du Monde to create health observatories near mining sites operated by AREVA, as well as a multi-party group for health observatories.
Participation in national and international forums on topics related to group operations
The group—along with stakeholders from businesses, institutions and associations—regularly participates in discussion forums and working groups on topics such as energy (e.g., ENEF*, WEC** and WNA***) and energy and climate change (e.g., WBCSD**** and ICC*****).
* European Nuclear Energy Forum
** World Energy Council
*** World Nuclear Association
**** World Business Council for Sustainable Development
***** International Chamber of Commerce
National public debates
The group participated in 2 public debates in France in 2005 and contributed to the British government’s “Energy Review” in 2006.
For example, between September 2005 and January 2006, the group took part in a national public debate on long-term management of radioactive waste that was organized by French public authorities. This public debate was the first to examine a social issue rather than a specific industrial project. Although it is not directly responsible for research on long-term management of radioactive waste and holds only a small amount of long-lived waste, AREVA was highly involved in the debate. The group helped to identify technological solutions for managing and treating radioactive waste and was also a stakeholder in the process.
A second debate on EDF’s plans to build an EPR™ nuclear reactor at Flamanville was held in France in 2005. The debate was considered necessary not only because of the project’s economic, social and environmental significance, but because it introduced a new generation of reactors. The debate also touched on ways of accessing safety and security information. The law regarding transparency and nuclear safety took this into account.
AREVA also contributed to “Energy Review”, a publication launched in 2006 by the British government. The group tried to demonstrate that nuclear energy—together with renewable energy and in a context of optimal energy efficiency—can help the United Kingdom address its energy supply and environmental challenges.
