community relations management

Making the most of energy resources is about more than oil and gas production — it is about forming a global partnership for development, and creating and delivering sustainable, long-term benefits to local communities. Our community involvement extends beyond philanthropy to job creation and supporting local businesses. We become an active participant in every community where we operate, and we are committed to making a positive and lasting contribution built on mutual trust and respect.

Our Best Practices in External Affairs(BPEA) initiative helps us tailor our decisions regarding external affairs to the unique business, country, and community context in which we operate. To address the Community Awareness element of our Operations Integrity Management System(OIMS), we use BPEA as the strategic planning tool to ensure implementation of community awareness programs, including active dialogue and consultation with local communities. This dialogue includes emergency planning and preparedness programs that are essential for the protection of the public, the environment, and company personnel and assets in the event of an incident.

Public Consultations
Because understanding and respecting local customs are critical for our continued presence in communities, we meet with community leaders and associations to exchange information and better address local issues. We conduct large-scale public consultations during our Environmental, Social, and Health Impact Assessment (ESHIA) process and encourage interested parties to ask questions about potential impacts to their communities and environment. We respond by providing additional information, incorporating mitigation plans in our project planning, and in some cases, modifying aspects of the project design. We engage with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to help ensure that our public consultation initiatives are as effective as possible.

Indigenous Communities
Because of their ethnic isolation from mainstream society, indigenous communities can be especially vulnerable to development. ExxonMobil conducts frequent consultations to help address the special needs of indigenous communities in areas where we operate. We mediate and resolve community concerns in a timely manner, and we follow the principles of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 169 concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the World Bank Operational Policy and Bank Procedure on Indigenous Peoples. Our programs for indigenous communities provide both short- and long-term improvements to living standards, with initiatives that address health care, skills development, and housing.

Property Rights and Resettlement
We respect property rights in the nations in which we operate. Only with the free, prior, and informed consultation of impacted communities will we implement new operations. Direct compensation programs and community programs that provide microdevelopment projects are incorporated into our projects. In rare cases where our projects may require the resettlement of affected persons, we compensate people fairly and justly, and follow the World Bank Operational Policy and Bank Procedure on Involuntary Resettlement.