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ARTICLE · 14 MARCH 2016

Quebec's Energy, Mining Sectors Searching For Clarity On Social Acceptability

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
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The notion of social acceptability has been raised in a number of natural resource development projects that recently made headlines in Quebec.

CanadaGovernment, Public Sector
Anne Drost
Anne Drost
Paulina Balabuch
Paulina Balabuch
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On February 16 2016, Quebec's Energy and Natural Resource Minister, Pierre Arcand, tabled a green paper (referred to in French as the "Livre Vert") at the National Assembly, outlining five guidelines regarding social acceptability as it relates to the use of public lands and the development of natural resource projects in Quebec (Green Paper). This Green Paper is the latest development in an initiative launched by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (MERN) in 2014 on social acceptability for natural resource projects in Quebec (referred to in French as "le chantier de l'acceptabilité sociale").

SOCIAL ACCEPTABILITY

The notion of social acceptability has been raised in a number of natural resource development projects that recently made headlines in Quebec. It is a similar concept to a social licence to operate, an expression more commonly used outside of Quebec. Despite being popular and often considered imperative for approval of certain projects, social

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