Oil and gas development in Greenland: A social license to operate, trust and legitimacy in environmental governance

• Main Authors: Smits, Coco C.A., van Leeuwen, Judith, van Tatenhove, Jan P.M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Subjects: Greenland; greenlandic
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301420716304226

Since the turn of the century, Greenland has been examining the possibilities to develop its potential oil and gas resources. The large scale oil and gas activities will impact the small Greenlandic society, both positively and negatively. In this paper we employ the concept of a social license to operate to address the risks of an activity, represented by the acceptance or approval of an activity by societal actors. The focus of existing research is primarily on the interaction between local communities and companies. However, in an increasingly complex society, where the role of governments, companies and civil society is subject to constant change, social licenses to operate should be studied in an integrated way, to deal with all essential elements that influence the successful implementation of controversial activities. Greenland; Oil and gas; Trust; Legitimacy; Social license to operate;