Indigenous engagement

Our engagement enables us to address any potential concerns our indigenous communities may have regarding our activity that could have an impact on their rights and traditional practices.

At Repsol, we are committed to conducting our business in an ethically, socially and environmentally responsible manner. We proactively engage with Indigenous communities in the areas where we operate.

We strive to develop meaningful relationships that bring mutual benefit with First Nations and Métis communities.

Our relationships with communities are built around the following principles:

Respect of the culture, language and heritage of First Nations and Métis communities

We support community events and initiatives that celebrate and honour the unique culture of First Nations and Métis communities. We promote cultural preservation through our support of traditional land-based education programs, cultural educational programs such as beading and drum making, Pow Wows, and Elders and youth programs.

Commitment to community well-being through Social Investment

At Repsol, we support development projects in the communities where we operate by focusing on education, skills, and capacity building, local infrastructure and economic development, environmental stewardship and awareness of alternative energies to reduce carbon footprint. In Canada, our Indigenous Awards scholarship program creates a lasting impact for post-secondary students from Treaty 6, 7, 8, and Métis settlement communities in Alberta. Our support of First Nations schools focuses on literacy, technology, positive and active living, and culture and heritage. Repsol also supports land-based education and employment readiness programs, training to employment programs and trades training programs.

Read more about our scholarship programs (feature story in progress)

Respectful, proactive and transparent consultation and engagement

At Repsol, we undertake proactive and transparent engagement with communities in a timely, honest and culturally appropriate manner throughout the lifecycle of our activities. Our goal is to establish enduring relationships with communities based on principles of respect, integrity, responsibility, transparency, good faith and trust. Listening to and learning from communities in our operating areas helps us form strong relationships, identify potential impacts and concerns, mitigate potential impacts and supports shared decision making.

We recognise and respect free, prior and informed consent, which means working with communities at the earliest stages of development towards obtaining and maintaining broad-based support for our projects.

We value cross-cultural awareness. We respect the importance of traditional ties to the land that hold cultural significance for communities. In our consultations with communities, we value culture, history, community interests, customs, languages and cultural communication styles, and build these learnings into our community engagement activities.