TECHNICAL PROGRAMME | Energy Leadership – Future Pathways
Stakeholder Engagement
Forum 31 | Hall 5 Digital Poster Plaza 5
15
October
12:00
14:00
UTC+3
Stakeholder engagement is an expectation of responsible business conduct. While the energy industry provides critical benefits to society, it can have a significant social and environmental footprint and often risks causing or contributing to adverse impacts. Laws and regulations place obligations on industry and other stakeholders but going beyond these and meaningfully engaging with stakeholders to understand issues and opportunities makes good business sense and is a key to attaining and retaining a “social licence to operate”. This forum will explore best practices and benefits of effective stakeholder engagement, including case studies in diverse jurisdictions.
Enterprises in the oil and gas sector face increasing project complexity influenced not only by technical, regulatory, market, and environmental factors but also by the diverse perspectives of stakeholders. Regulators, contractors, host communities, investors, and operating partners often have competing priorities, which, if not systematically addressed, can distort project feasibility assessments, delay approvals, and weaken execution strategies. Despite their impact, stakeholder dynamics are rarely quantified during the business case stage.
This study introduces a quantitative framework that integrates stakeholder perspectives into project complexity evaluation. The model translates stakeholder’s related factors into measurable variables; for instance, Regulatory alignment, contractual interfaces, social license and permits, and very crucial the investor expectations. By embedding these elements into early stage semi quantitative assessments, enterprises can anticipate potential friction points, enhance transparency, and strengthen trust across stakeholder groups.
The methodology enables business developers, planners, and project managers to move beyond subjective perceptions by:
Quantifying stakeholder complexity, capturing the influence of diverse and sometimes conflicting interests.
Applying scenario based analyses, which illustrate how shifts in stakeholder positions can impact cost, schedule, and risk.
Enhancing collaboration and alignment, as stakeholders are actively engaged in validating complexity metrics and sensitivity outcomes.
For the audience, the key learning is how to apply a structured, data-driven approach to integrate stakeholder dynamics into early project evaluations. By using this approach, practitioners can refine feasibility studies, strengthen risk management, and build more resilient approval pathways.
Ultimately, stakeholder inclusive complexity assessments not only improve decision quality but also foster a culture of shared accountability, positioning enterprises to deliver projects that are both technically robust and socially sustainable.
This study introduces a quantitative framework that integrates stakeholder perspectives into project complexity evaluation. The model translates stakeholder’s related factors into measurable variables; for instance, Regulatory alignment, contractual interfaces, social license and permits, and very crucial the investor expectations. By embedding these elements into early stage semi quantitative assessments, enterprises can anticipate potential friction points, enhance transparency, and strengthen trust across stakeholder groups.
The methodology enables business developers, planners, and project managers to move beyond subjective perceptions by:
Quantifying stakeholder complexity, capturing the influence of diverse and sometimes conflicting interests.
Applying scenario based analyses, which illustrate how shifts in stakeholder positions can impact cost, schedule, and risk.
Enhancing collaboration and alignment, as stakeholders are actively engaged in validating complexity metrics and sensitivity outcomes.
For the audience, the key learning is how to apply a structured, data-driven approach to integrate stakeholder dynamics into early project evaluations. By using this approach, practitioners can refine feasibility studies, strengthen risk management, and build more resilient approval pathways.
Ultimately, stakeholder inclusive complexity assessments not only improve decision quality but also foster a culture of shared accountability, positioning enterprises to deliver projects that are both technically robust and socially sustainable.
This review article critically examines the legal and experiential gaps in stakeholder participation within the global transition to clean energy. In the context of climate change and accelerated decarbonization efforts, the study highlights that meaningful participation of diverse stakeholders—from local communities and indigenous groups to private investors and governmental bodies—is essential to achieving a just, equitable, and socially legitimate transition. The research synthesizes literature from legal studies, energy policy, environmental governance, and social sciences to identify persistent challenges and emerging trends in participatory processes.
Using a narrative review method, the analysis draws on recent academic publications (2020–2025), reports of international organizations, and case studies. Key themes include procedural and distributive justice, implementation of the principle of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), digitalization of participation, and the role of corporate accountability. It also addresses decentralization of energy systems, the rise of prosumer (producer-consumer) models, and the often-overlooked social impacts of global critical mineral supply chains.
The findings point to a persistent gap between the normative ideals of participation—as embodied in frameworks such as the Aarhus Convention—and field realities, where procedural engagement often fails to translate into stakeholder influence. The review reveals several deep, interconnected gaps. First, there is a significant divergence between normative analyses, which emphasize the necessity of participation, and the scarcity of systematic empirical evidence assessing the actual effectiveness of participatory mechanisms in delivering fair outcomes. Second, the dominance of Global North perspectives and case studies has led to neglect of the unique political, cultural, and legal contexts of the Global South, constituting a major limitation. Third, insufficient analysis of power dynamics and oversimplification of concepts such as “local community” often reproduce inequalities under the guise of symbolic participation.
The article offers practical recommendations, including strengthening legal mechanisms, enhancing digital inclusion, promoting community-based energy models, and developing statistical metrics to assess participatory justice. Ultimately, it argues that existing legal and governance frameworks—especially in contexts characterized by power asymmetries and legal pluralism—remain inadequate for ensuring genuinely meaningful participation. Addressing these gaps requires adopting interdisciplinary, context-specific, and rights-based approaches that can evaluate implementation complexities alongside legal requirements. By highlighting these gaps, the article proposes future research pathways for scholars and policy priorities for lawmakers to ensure that the clean energy transition is achieved in a more democratic, just, and sustainable manner.
Using a narrative review method, the analysis draws on recent academic publications (2020–2025), reports of international organizations, and case studies. Key themes include procedural and distributive justice, implementation of the principle of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), digitalization of participation, and the role of corporate accountability. It also addresses decentralization of energy systems, the rise of prosumer (producer-consumer) models, and the often-overlooked social impacts of global critical mineral supply chains.
The findings point to a persistent gap between the normative ideals of participation—as embodied in frameworks such as the Aarhus Convention—and field realities, where procedural engagement often fails to translate into stakeholder influence. The review reveals several deep, interconnected gaps. First, there is a significant divergence between normative analyses, which emphasize the necessity of participation, and the scarcity of systematic empirical evidence assessing the actual effectiveness of participatory mechanisms in delivering fair outcomes. Second, the dominance of Global North perspectives and case studies has led to neglect of the unique political, cultural, and legal contexts of the Global South, constituting a major limitation. Third, insufficient analysis of power dynamics and oversimplification of concepts such as “local community” often reproduce inequalities under the guise of symbolic participation.
The article offers practical recommendations, including strengthening legal mechanisms, enhancing digital inclusion, promoting community-based energy models, and developing statistical metrics to assess participatory justice. Ultimately, it argues that existing legal and governance frameworks—especially in contexts characterized by power asymmetries and legal pluralism—remain inadequate for ensuring genuinely meaningful participation. Addressing these gaps requires adopting interdisciplinary, context-specific, and rights-based approaches that can evaluate implementation complexities alongside legal requirements. By highlighting these gaps, the article proposes future research pathways for scholars and policy priorities for lawmakers to ensure that the clean energy transition is achieved in a more democratic, just, and sustainable manner.
The global imperative to combat climate change necessitates a fundamental shift in energy systems towards low-carbon alternatives. This research investigates and analyzes the legal frameworks and pathways crucial for facilitating a successful transition to low-carbon energy systems, with a focus on hydrogen storage as a case study in Iranian Law. Hydrogen storage is emerging as a pivotal component of low-carbon energy systems, providing a versatile solution for energy storage and distribution.
However, no specific standards, guidelines, and regulatory frameworks are available for aquifer storage operations. Legal and social obstacles must be overcome before any large-scale implementation of aquifer storage can be achieved. Large-scale storage of hydrogen in aquifers can be challenging for both public and private sectors. Legal supports will facilitate the large-scale hydrogen storage in aquifers. Laws and policies such as tax legislation and rules on the ownership and management of energy storage facilities, the hydrogen storage role in energy markets, and subsidies can influence the business case of aquifer storage projects and, consequently, the success rate of the projects.
The laws can facilitate the participatory process and the involvement of the local community in the project development toward arriving at solutions and agreements that limit the environmental impacts and construction inconvenience, speed up the development, and determine appropriate financial compensations for possible local consequences (e.g., land-use change, constructions and the surface pipelines trace, noise pollution, soil and groundwater contamination) of the storage projects.
Objectives of case study are:
Analyzing specific legal provisions related to hydrogen storage, including those addressing safety standards, environmental considerations, property rights, ownership, and liabilities.
Investigating financial incentives and subsidies provided by the legal frameworks to support hydrogen storage projects.
Evaluating the mechanisms in place for ensuring compliance with legal requirements and the enforcement of regulations.
Evaluating any international collaborations or agreements reflected in the legal frameworks.
The research seeks to unravel the complexities of legal frameworks for low-carbon energy transition, contributing to the academic and practical knowledge necessary for crafting effective policies. The ultimate aim is to pave the way for a sustainable and resilient energy future.
The research emphasizes the role of laws and policies in enabling a participatory process and involving local communities in project development. This inclusive approach seeks solutions and agreements that mitigate environmental impacts, expedite development, and determine appropriate financial compensations for potential local consequences, including land-use change, construction impacts, surface pipeline traces, noise pollution, and soil and groundwater contamination resulting from storage projects. By addressing legal and social dimensions, this research contributes to the overarching goal of establishing a robust legal framework that fosters the successful integration of low-carbon technologies into global energy systems.
However, no specific standards, guidelines, and regulatory frameworks are available for aquifer storage operations. Legal and social obstacles must be overcome before any large-scale implementation of aquifer storage can be achieved. Large-scale storage of hydrogen in aquifers can be challenging for both public and private sectors. Legal supports will facilitate the large-scale hydrogen storage in aquifers. Laws and policies such as tax legislation and rules on the ownership and management of energy storage facilities, the hydrogen storage role in energy markets, and subsidies can influence the business case of aquifer storage projects and, consequently, the success rate of the projects.
The laws can facilitate the participatory process and the involvement of the local community in the project development toward arriving at solutions and agreements that limit the environmental impacts and construction inconvenience, speed up the development, and determine appropriate financial compensations for possible local consequences (e.g., land-use change, constructions and the surface pipelines trace, noise pollution, soil and groundwater contamination) of the storage projects.
Objectives of case study are:
Analyzing specific legal provisions related to hydrogen storage, including those addressing safety standards, environmental considerations, property rights, ownership, and liabilities.
Investigating financial incentives and subsidies provided by the legal frameworks to support hydrogen storage projects.
Evaluating the mechanisms in place for ensuring compliance with legal requirements and the enforcement of regulations.
Evaluating any international collaborations or agreements reflected in the legal frameworks.
The research seeks to unravel the complexities of legal frameworks for low-carbon energy transition, contributing to the academic and practical knowledge necessary for crafting effective policies. The ultimate aim is to pave the way for a sustainable and resilient energy future.
The research emphasizes the role of laws and policies in enabling a participatory process and involving local communities in project development. This inclusive approach seeks solutions and agreements that mitigate environmental impacts, expedite development, and determine appropriate financial compensations for potential local consequences, including land-use change, construction impacts, surface pipeline traces, noise pollution, and soil and groundwater contamination resulting from storage projects. By addressing legal and social dimensions, this research contributes to the overarching goal of establishing a robust legal framework that fosters the successful integration of low-carbon technologies into global energy systems.
This review article critically examines the legal and experiential gaps in stakeholder participation within the global transition to clean energy. In the context of climate change and accelerated decarbonization efforts, the study highlights that meaningful participation of diverse stakeholders—from local communities and indigenous groups to private investors and governmental bodies—is essential to achieving a just, equitable, and socially legitimate transition. The research synthesizes literature from legal studies, energy policy, environmental governance, and social sciences to identify persistent challenges and emerging trends in participatory processes.
Using a narrative review method, the analysis draws on recent academic publications (2020–2025), reports of international organizations, and case studies. Key themes include procedural and distributive justice, implementation of the principle of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), digitalization of participation, and the role of corporate accountability. It also addresses decentralization of energy systems, the rise of prosumer (producer-consumer) models, and the often-overlooked social impacts of global critical mineral supply chains.
The findings point to a persistent gap between the normative ideals of participation—as embodied in frameworks such as the Aarhus Convention—and field realities, where procedural engagement often fails to translate into stakeholder influence. The review reveals several deep, interconnected gaps. First, there is a significant divergence between normative analyses, which emphasize the necessity of participation, and the scarcity of systematic empirical evidence assessing the actual effectiveness of participatory mechanisms in delivering fair outcomes. Second, the dominance of Global North perspectives and case studies has led to neglect of the unique political, cultural, and legal contexts of the Global South, constituting a major limitation. Third, insufficient analysis of power dynamics and oversimplification of concepts such as “local community” often reproduce inequalities under the guise of symbolic participation.
The article offers practical recommendations, including strengthening legal mechanisms, enhancing digital inclusion, promoting community-based energy models, and developing statistical metrics to assess participatory justice. Ultimately, it argues that existing legal and governance frameworks—especially in contexts characterized by power asymmetries and legal pluralism—remain inadequate for ensuring genuinely meaningful participation. Addressing these gaps requires adopting interdisciplinary, context-specific, and rights-based approaches that can evaluate implementation complexities alongside legal requirements. By highlighting these gaps, the article proposes future research pathways for scholars and policy priorities for lawmakers to ensure that the clean energy transition is achieved in a more democratic, just, and sustainable manner.
Using a narrative review method, the analysis draws on recent academic publications (2020–2025), reports of international organizations, and case studies. Key themes include procedural and distributive justice, implementation of the principle of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), digitalization of participation, and the role of corporate accountability. It also addresses decentralization of energy systems, the rise of prosumer (producer-consumer) models, and the often-overlooked social impacts of global critical mineral supply chains.
The findings point to a persistent gap between the normative ideals of participation—as embodied in frameworks such as the Aarhus Convention—and field realities, where procedural engagement often fails to translate into stakeholder influence. The review reveals several deep, interconnected gaps. First, there is a significant divergence between normative analyses, which emphasize the necessity of participation, and the scarcity of systematic empirical evidence assessing the actual effectiveness of participatory mechanisms in delivering fair outcomes. Second, the dominance of Global North perspectives and case studies has led to neglect of the unique political, cultural, and legal contexts of the Global South, constituting a major limitation. Third, insufficient analysis of power dynamics and oversimplification of concepts such as “local community” often reproduce inequalities under the guise of symbolic participation.
The article offers practical recommendations, including strengthening legal mechanisms, enhancing digital inclusion, promoting community-based energy models, and developing statistical metrics to assess participatory justice. Ultimately, it argues that existing legal and governance frameworks—especially in contexts characterized by power asymmetries and legal pluralism—remain inadequate for ensuring genuinely meaningful participation. Addressing these gaps requires adopting interdisciplinary, context-specific, and rights-based approaches that can evaluate implementation complexities alongside legal requirements. By highlighting these gaps, the article proposes future research pathways for scholars and policy priorities for lawmakers to ensure that the clean energy transition is achieved in a more democratic, just, and sustainable manner.
Delara Heidari
Speaker
Oil and Gas Lawyer
Iranian Offshore Engineering and Consruction (IOEC)
The global imperative to combat climate change necessitates a fundamental shift in energy systems towards low-carbon alternatives. This research investigates and analyzes the legal frameworks and pathways crucial for facilitating a successful transition to low-carbon energy systems, with a focus on hydrogen storage as a case study in Iranian Law. Hydrogen storage is emerging as a pivotal component of low-carbon energy systems, providing a versatile solution for energy storage and distribution.
However, no specific standards, guidelines, and regulatory frameworks are available for aquifer storage operations. Legal and social obstacles must be overcome before any large-scale implementation of aquifer storage can be achieved. Large-scale storage of hydrogen in aquifers can be challenging for both public and private sectors. Legal supports will facilitate the large-scale hydrogen storage in aquifers. Laws and policies such as tax legislation and rules on the ownership and management of energy storage facilities, the hydrogen storage role in energy markets, and subsidies can influence the business case of aquifer storage projects and, consequently, the success rate of the projects.
The laws can facilitate the participatory process and the involvement of the local community in the project development toward arriving at solutions and agreements that limit the environmental impacts and construction inconvenience, speed up the development, and determine appropriate financial compensations for possible local consequences (e.g., land-use change, constructions and the surface pipelines trace, noise pollution, soil and groundwater contamination) of the storage projects.
Objectives of case study are:
Analyzing specific legal provisions related to hydrogen storage, including those addressing safety standards, environmental considerations, property rights, ownership, and liabilities.
Investigating financial incentives and subsidies provided by the legal frameworks to support hydrogen storage projects.
Evaluating the mechanisms in place for ensuring compliance with legal requirements and the enforcement of regulations.
Evaluating any international collaborations or agreements reflected in the legal frameworks.
The research seeks to unravel the complexities of legal frameworks for low-carbon energy transition, contributing to the academic and practical knowledge necessary for crafting effective policies. The ultimate aim is to pave the way for a sustainable and resilient energy future.
The research emphasizes the role of laws and policies in enabling a participatory process and involving local communities in project development. This inclusive approach seeks solutions and agreements that mitigate environmental impacts, expedite development, and determine appropriate financial compensations for potential local consequences, including land-use change, construction impacts, surface pipeline traces, noise pollution, and soil and groundwater contamination resulting from storage projects. By addressing legal and social dimensions, this research contributes to the overarching goal of establishing a robust legal framework that fosters the successful integration of low-carbon technologies into global energy systems.
However, no specific standards, guidelines, and regulatory frameworks are available for aquifer storage operations. Legal and social obstacles must be overcome before any large-scale implementation of aquifer storage can be achieved. Large-scale storage of hydrogen in aquifers can be challenging for both public and private sectors. Legal supports will facilitate the large-scale hydrogen storage in aquifers. Laws and policies such as tax legislation and rules on the ownership and management of energy storage facilities, the hydrogen storage role in energy markets, and subsidies can influence the business case of aquifer storage projects and, consequently, the success rate of the projects.
The laws can facilitate the participatory process and the involvement of the local community in the project development toward arriving at solutions and agreements that limit the environmental impacts and construction inconvenience, speed up the development, and determine appropriate financial compensations for possible local consequences (e.g., land-use change, constructions and the surface pipelines trace, noise pollution, soil and groundwater contamination) of the storage projects.
Objectives of case study are:
Analyzing specific legal provisions related to hydrogen storage, including those addressing safety standards, environmental considerations, property rights, ownership, and liabilities.
Investigating financial incentives and subsidies provided by the legal frameworks to support hydrogen storage projects.
Evaluating the mechanisms in place for ensuring compliance with legal requirements and the enforcement of regulations.
Evaluating any international collaborations or agreements reflected in the legal frameworks.
The research seeks to unravel the complexities of legal frameworks for low-carbon energy transition, contributing to the academic and practical knowledge necessary for crafting effective policies. The ultimate aim is to pave the way for a sustainable and resilient energy future.
The research emphasizes the role of laws and policies in enabling a participatory process and involving local communities in project development. This inclusive approach seeks solutions and agreements that mitigate environmental impacts, expedite development, and determine appropriate financial compensations for potential local consequences, including land-use change, construction impacts, surface pipeline traces, noise pollution, and soil and groundwater contamination resulting from storage projects. By addressing legal and social dimensions, this research contributes to the overarching goal of establishing a robust legal framework that fosters the successful integration of low-carbon technologies into global energy systems.
Enterprises in the oil and gas sector face increasing project complexity influenced not only by technical, regulatory, market, and environmental factors but also by the diverse perspectives of stakeholders. Regulators, contractors, host communities, investors, and operating partners often have competing priorities, which, if not systematically addressed, can distort project feasibility assessments, delay approvals, and weaken execution strategies. Despite their impact, stakeholder dynamics are rarely quantified during the business case stage.
This study introduces a quantitative framework that integrates stakeholder perspectives into project complexity evaluation. The model translates stakeholder’s related factors into measurable variables; for instance, Regulatory alignment, contractual interfaces, social license and permits, and very crucial the investor expectations. By embedding these elements into early stage semi quantitative assessments, enterprises can anticipate potential friction points, enhance transparency, and strengthen trust across stakeholder groups.
The methodology enables business developers, planners, and project managers to move beyond subjective perceptions by:
Quantifying stakeholder complexity, capturing the influence of diverse and sometimes conflicting interests.
Applying scenario based analyses, which illustrate how shifts in stakeholder positions can impact cost, schedule, and risk.
Enhancing collaboration and alignment, as stakeholders are actively engaged in validating complexity metrics and sensitivity outcomes.
For the audience, the key learning is how to apply a structured, data-driven approach to integrate stakeholder dynamics into early project evaluations. By using this approach, practitioners can refine feasibility studies, strengthen risk management, and build more resilient approval pathways.
Ultimately, stakeholder inclusive complexity assessments not only improve decision quality but also foster a culture of shared accountability, positioning enterprises to deliver projects that are both technically robust and socially sustainable.
This study introduces a quantitative framework that integrates stakeholder perspectives into project complexity evaluation. The model translates stakeholder’s related factors into measurable variables; for instance, Regulatory alignment, contractual interfaces, social license and permits, and very crucial the investor expectations. By embedding these elements into early stage semi quantitative assessments, enterprises can anticipate potential friction points, enhance transparency, and strengthen trust across stakeholder groups.
The methodology enables business developers, planners, and project managers to move beyond subjective perceptions by:
Quantifying stakeholder complexity, capturing the influence of diverse and sometimes conflicting interests.
Applying scenario based analyses, which illustrate how shifts in stakeholder positions can impact cost, schedule, and risk.
Enhancing collaboration and alignment, as stakeholders are actively engaged in validating complexity metrics and sensitivity outcomes.
For the audience, the key learning is how to apply a structured, data-driven approach to integrate stakeholder dynamics into early project evaluations. By using this approach, practitioners can refine feasibility studies, strengthen risk management, and build more resilient approval pathways.
Ultimately, stakeholder inclusive complexity assessments not only improve decision quality but also foster a culture of shared accountability, positioning enterprises to deliver projects that are both technically robust and socially sustainable.
