Abstract
NEMMO report: Study on socio-economic impacts of tidal energy
This report presents the results of the socio-economic assessment (SEA) carried out for the NEMMO project. The SEA is a well-established method that has helped in understanding the potential positive and negative socio-economic impacts of the NEMMO project innovations.
For this study, the UNEP/SETAC guidelines for Social Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and the Product Social Impact Assessment Framework presented in the Handbook for Product Social Impact Assessment (PSIA) have been been followed. According to those well-established methodologies, which follow the standards ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 on environmental LCA, the following phases have been considered:
(1) a goal and scope definition phase, in which the reasons for carrying out the study (goal) and the product system to be studied (scope) have been defined. In addition, at this stage, relevant actors have been identified and a materiality assessment has been conducted in order to determine the relevant social topics by means of questionnaires for the relevant stakeholder groups;
(2) a hotspots identification phase by conducting questionnaires to the relevant stakeholders of the value chain (supply chain, manufacturing and installation). These questionnaires have been developed following the methodology proposed by the PSIA. Stakeholders’ opinion has been fundamental to identify potential social impacts;
(3) an impact assessment phase, in order to evaluate previous responses with the 5-point reference scale included in the PSIA. This has been complemented with a economic assessment of several indicators, with the aim at further analysing the economic implications of the NEMMO project; and
(4) an interpretation phase, in which main outputs have been analysed to help understand the resulting socio-economic impacts related to the implementation of the NEMMO system.
The authors would like to thank the Morlais Anglesey Marine Energy Project for their collaboration in the project and in this report accepting to participate in meetings and answering the questionnaires on a voluntary basis.