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No. 2 (2025)

The Social licence to operate concept as a tool for analysing socio-environmental conflicts: application to the Val d’Agri oil field (Basilicata)

  • Alberto Diantini
  • Sofia Tagliavini
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/rgioa2-2025oa20569
Submitted
luglio 3, 2025
Published
2025-07-21

Abstract

The article aims to test the use of the interpretative lens of the Social licence to operate (SLO) concept as a tool for analysing the complex dynamics of environmental conflicts. The study area is the Val d’Agri concession in Basilicata, located in Italy’s main oil-producing area. The semi-structured interviews with some local actors made it possible to investigate the key components of the social licence (legitimacy, credibility and trust), highlighting critical issues in the conflictual relationship between the company and the local community, which is conditioned by a very deep territorial link with oil. SLO, in the sense presented in this contribution, can also represent an important field of application outside the industry, where it originated, as within the sphere of competence of local institutions.

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