Overview
For the fifth edition, the Papua LNG Independent Advisory Panel (IAP) met in France from September 4 to 7, 2023. They had the opportunity to meet SVP Asia Pacific E&P Julien Pouget and his successor Thomas Maurisse.
Claude-Henri Chaineau, Head HSE/Environment, and Claudine Chavee, Head Social Performance, also had the opportunity to meet the panel members. Carole Le Gal, Senior Vice President Climate & Sustainability, who was already in Port Moresby for the previous edition, was also present.
They visited some interesting historical sites that illustrate the relationship between France and Papua New Guinea (Issoudun) and the Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac Museum, which houses an exceptional collection of indigenous works of art from the Pacific region, particularly PNG.
A glimps in Pictures
Based on the discussions held during the IAP meeting held on 5 September, the following key recommendations were formulated and presented after the session:
Recommendations Panel #5
BIODIVERSITY / CONSERVATION / ENVIRONMENT
5-B.1 Financial sustainability of the Biodiversity offsets
To ensure that the Biodiversity Offset strategy is financially sustainable, and that the landowners are compensated for the opportunity costs of alternative development on their lands
We, the panelists would like to get better insights into the near-term and long-term plans of Papua LNG for avoiding and minimizing the impacts of the project on biodiversity and ecosystem services and the proposed offset strategies, including reforestation and biodiversity conservation. The effort should be to prevent, to the extent possible, impacts and only offset those that are unavoidable. These strategies must be financially sustainable and repay the landowners for the opportunity costs of alternative development on their lands, which has not yet been successfully accomplished in PNG. The timely development and testing of these strategies are therefore of high importance.
SOCIETAL DEVELOPMENT
5-S.1 Monitoring of the Social Impacts & Relations with Stakeholders
TEP PNG to share with the panelists the Stakeholder Management platform called Borealis where the Communities Engagements are recorded by CLOs (Community Liaison Officers) and the M&E (Monitoring & Evaluation) strategy by end of 2024.
IAP GOVERNANCE
5-G.1 Information on Media coverage
To provide the IAP members with regular information concerning the Media coverage referring to TotalEnergies, with a particular focus on its activities in PNG.
That will help us as panelists to better understanding the way TotalEnergies is perceived in the Media in PNG and globally as well. Similarly, we would like to be informed about the grievances raised by NGOs operating in PNG, or about their views on TotalEnergies’ operations in PNG.
The Independent Advisory Panel is a recent and innovative creation which mandate, and position may be the object of misunderstanding from the Medias, the NGOs and the Civil Society. We want to be sure that our integrity, our independence, and neutrality are not compromised or challenged.
5-G.2 Improve the analysis of the social side of TotalEnergies’ operations in PNG
To allow the panelists to have some contacts with key PNG representatives of the Social Society, NGOs and GOs to contribute to increase respect, understanding and dialogue between the various partners and actors on the field.
The two last IAP meetings highlighted the need to improve and deepen our analysis of the social side of TotalEnergies’ operations in PNG. So far, we have been in contact with various village representatives. It has been considered that the IAP could contribute to increase respect, understanding and dialogue between the various partners and actors on the field. Therefore, we would like to have some contacts with: Representatives from the Dpt. of Petroleum & Energy ; Representatives from the Dpt. of Education ; Representatives from the Dpt. of Health ; Representatives from the Office of the Governor, and of the elected Members from the Gulf Province; Representatives from the Diocese of Kerema; Representatives and activists from various NGO’s operating in the Gulf Province (especially in the environmental domain); Representatives from the MRDC …etc.