Using a People-positive Approach to Accelerate the Scale-up of Clean Power

The document argues that the unprecedented scale and speed required for the clean power transition increase the likelihood of community opposition, which can lead to project delays or cancellations. It proposes a 'people-positive' approach that moves beyond basic community engagement to integrate 'system value' into business strategies, foster cross-sectoral partnerships, and develop industry-wide metrics for social sustainability. The guide outlines three foundational pillars for engagement—respecting local context, early and transparent communication, and delivering shared value—and provides case studies from India, Spain, Australia, and the UK to illustrate these principles in practice.

• The massive scale of clean power expansion required to meet net zero goals—tripling capacity by 2030 and increasing nine-fold by 2050—will necessitate significant land and water use, making it increasingly difficult to find sites that do not impact local communities.
• Community opposition to clean power projects is a significant business risk; a study of nearly 300 cases across 23 countries (1997-2019) found that 10% of projects were cancelled, 21% were suspended, and 50% of the remainder were delayed.
• Opposition to infrastructure projects generally stems from four categories: social impacts (e.g., lack of meaningful consultation or threats to indigenous sovereignty), economic impacts (e.g., loss of property value), environmental impacts (e.g., threats to biodiversity), and institutional uncertainty or conflict regarding regulatory frameworks.
• Successful community engagement relies on three basic pillars: understanding and respecting the local context, engaging early, continuously, meaningfully, and transparently, and defining a clear plan focused on delivering shared value.
• To achieve a 'people-positive' transition, businesses must evolve their strategies to prioritize 'system value'—the broader social, economic, and environmental benefits—and align all internal departments, such as procurement and business development, with these goals rather than focusing solely on lowest cost or project volume.
• The document defines 'people-positivity' as a concept of social sustainability where the net benefits of a project outweigh the costs and burdens for affected people, encompassing local upskilling, job creation, and equitable distribution of benefits.
• There is a critical need for the clean power industry to collaborate with policy-makers and civil society to create a common definition of 'people-positive' and a standardized framework to measure and validate social impact to prevent 'social washing'.

APA

World Economic Forum (2023). Using a People-positive Approach to Accelerate the Scale-up of Clean Power. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Using_a_People_positive_Approach_to_Accelerate_the_Scale_up_of_Clean_Power_2023.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Using a People-positive Approach to Accelerate the Scale-up of Clean Power. 2023. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Using_a_People_positive_Approach_to_Accelerate_the_Scale_up_of_Clean_Power_2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Using a People-positive Approach to Accelerate the Scale-up of Clean Power |date=December 2023 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Using_a_People_positive_Approach_to_Accelerate_the_Scale_up_of_Clean_Power_2023.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2023using, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Using a People-positive Approach to Accelerate the Scale-up of Clean Power}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2023}, month = dec, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Using_a_People_positive_Approach_to_Accelerate_the_Scale_up_of_Clean_Power_2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }