Map Key · 14 de outubro de 2026
Social license to operate
Social license to operate is the acceptance that people and institutions around a company or project give it, and it decides whether the project can run without conflict. It is written on no paper: it is earned, kept and lost through conduct.
How it works
Environmental licenses and legal permits say a project may exist. The social license says whether it will be welcome. It forms from what the company does and says before, during and after construction: clear information, real listening, local jobs and purchasing, care for the environment and keeping promises.
It is often described in levels, from mere tolerance to acceptance, approval and, at best, partnership. The level changes over time, and one badly handled episode can bring it down in days.
Signs it is at risk
- The community learns about the project from the press.
- Promises of local jobs and purchasing never show up in numbers.
- Dialogue only begins once conflict already exists.
- The people speaking for the company do not know the territory.
The view from next door. People living next to a project are not asking for favors: they ask for information, deadlines and a channel that answers. When that exists early, the social license stops being a risk and becomes an advantage of the project.
Related terms
Ler em português: Licença social para operar
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