Community benefit sharing involves sharing the rewards of renewable energy development with local communities. It aims to integrate a development in the local community by contributing to the future vitality and success of the region. It is based on a desire to establish and maintain positive longterm connections to the area and to be a good neighbour.
The concept of benefit sharing is based on acknowledging that the siting of renewable energy infrastructure – especially when it is large scale – results in changes in the local landscape and community. Sharing the financial and other benefits of a project enhances the social and economic outcomes for the local community, thereby making the change worthwhile. A successful benefit sharing strategy requires consideration of how a renewable energy project can add value in a local area and what it takes to be a welcomed development in a host community.
