Social Licence to Operate for geothermal energy

Link with the task 1.5 The general aim for a geothermal SLO will be to further reduce the risks of public criticism and social conflicts, and, in general provide a universally accepted social acceptance/geoethics framework for the different types of geothermal investment projects. This will result in 1.) more transparency, 2.) reduced investment risk ,3.) more versatile and easier engagement for crowdfunding. The SLO framework developed for CROWDTHERMAL will consider contemporary discussions concerning all stages of geothermal development from exploration to planning and building, and from operations to closure. This will be done according to various levels of strength in social licence ‘contracts’. At the lowest level of SLO the relationship between the community or a network of stakeholders and the operation is one of acceptance only. A higher level of SLO is represented when the stakeholder explicitly approves of and encourages the continuation of the activity. The highest level is characterised by a community perceiving the operation to be integral to their communal identity and values and therefore feel invested in the outcomes of the operation (psychological identification).