A Stakeholder Strategies Angus Reid Strategies Study

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Have Canadians Gone Banana?
Uncovering Canadian Attitudes around NIMBY
Issues Ontario Stone Sand and Gravel
Association February 20, 2009

• A Stakeholder Strategies Angus Reid Strategies
  Study

Tom McLaren, Principal Bridgepoint Group
Ltd. tmclaren_at_bridgepointgroupltd.com
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About Bridgepoint Group

• Formed 1998
• Assist private sector with public sector business
  development in energy, waste management,
  construction and infrastructure
• Provide communications, government relations,
  regulatory support, and stakeholder engagement
  services to project developers

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What We Will Cover

• What has changed the game
• How Developers have responded
• Popular Perceptions on NIMBYism
• The Reality Canadian Land Use Index Survey
  attitude segments
• NIMBY What to do about it
• What do project developers want to see

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What has changed the game

• Increased government oversight, multilayer
  approval process
• Urbanization
• Internet accelerates grass roots campaigns,
  inexpensive
• Class Struggle urban poor vs urban rich
• Increased financial and market risk for developers

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How Developers Have Responded

• More robust communications, web sites, community
  consultation, advisory committees etc
• Earlier community consultation
• Sustainability culture social, economic,
  environmental

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The NIMBY Alphabet(not in my backyard)

• LULU (locally unwanted land use)
• Banana (build absolutely nothing absolutely near
  anybody)
• CAVE people (citizens against virtually
  everything)
• NOPEs ( not on planet earth)
• NOTEs ( not over their either)
• GOMBYs (get out of my backyard)
• DUDEs ( developer under delusions of entitlement)
• NIMTO (not in my term of office)

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NIMBY The Traditional View

• A Stakeholder Strategies Angus Reid Strategies
  Study

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The NIMBY Cast of Characters
(Courtesy of the Slevin Group)
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Problems with the traditional view

• Projects are seen in David vs Goliath terms
• Focus of project communications is on fighting
  opposition misinformation campaigns
• Does not distinguish between purists (cant
  bargain) and pragmatist opponents (will bargain)
• Resulting negative publicity further dampens
  community and media support
• Spiral of Silence forms
• Silent majoritys view is unknown or not
  communicated effectively
• Supporters become afraid of participating as
  opponents get more aggressive
• Political support and will deteriorates
• NIMTO takes over

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NIMBY Canadian Land Use Index Survey

• A Stakeholder Strategies Angus Reid Strategies
  Study

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Canadian Land Use Index Survey

• 1000 Canadians in all regions drawn from a 70,000
  Angus Reid Strategies online panel substantial
  behavior and attitude information
• Three energy infrastructure types wind, EFW,
  transmission
• three questions trust, environmental
  perspective, distance issue

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Support for Power Projects
Support for all forms of power-related
infrastructure projects drops dramatically, once
it is 1km from Canadians homes.
As the country grows, there is a need for more
power. If a INSERT ONE OF CONCEPTS BELOW,
RANDOMLY SELECTED were proposed to be built
within ten (10) kilometers of your home, would
you support or oppose it? If a show the same
concept again were proposed to be built within
one (1) kilometer of your home, would you support
or oppose it?
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Support for Projects-- Ontario vs. Rest of
Canada --
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The Banana Trade Off
The tradeoff between proximity and economic and
environmental costs divides Canadians into two
equal sized camps.
Power plants, waste disposal sites and large
factories can be located either close to major
urban centers or away from large numbers of
people.  Locating these plants and disposal sites
farther away has increased costs and more impact
on the environment, because of energy consumed in
transportation or transmission.  Locating them
closer brings them into urban or suburban areas
and nearer to your home. Which of the following
comes closest to how you feel about where these
types of large plants and disposal sites should
be located Places like power plants, waste
disposal sites and large factories should be
located in or close to major urban centers, to
reduce their costs and effect on the environment,
Or, places like power plants, waste disposal
sites and large factories should not be located
in or close to major urban centers, even though
it will increase costs and effect on the
environment
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Trust in Stakeholders Input
There is widespread skepticism about the views of
all stakeholders with less than 1/3 having real
trust even in environment groups or local
residents. And only developers are less credible
than a govt. regulatory agency.
When a power plant, waste disposal site or large
factory is being considered for your community,
many groups have something to say about whether
the project should be approved or not. Please
indicate how much trustworthy you feel each group
is, when providing information or a point of
view, on whether or not a project such as a power
plant, waste disposal site or large factory
should be approved.
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Conclusions of the Survey

• Support for many types of LULUs in Canada was
  higher than expected particularly in Ontario
• Projects vary in their acceptability as they get
  closer to your backyard no surprise
• People split on banana tradeoff
• Trust in environmental and resident groups high
  government and developers - low.

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NIMBY How Does One Begin to Deal with it?

• A Stakeholder Strategies Angus Reid Strategies
  Study

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Urban Land Use Segmentation
Canadians differ in their support for urban
infrastructure and in their degree of general
cynicism about the input of various stakeholders.
Urban InfrastructureSupporters
Higher
Questioning Citizens
Trusting Citizens
Support for Urban Infrastructure Development
NegativeCynics
Lower
General trust in Stakeholders
Higher
Lower
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Introducing the Segments
27 of Canadians
Urban Infrastructure Supporters tend to support
infrastructure in urban areasoften even within a
kilometer of their homes. They tend to be
cynical about most stakeholders, including
environmental and resident groups, but they still
are open to building close to home
25 of Canadians
Trusting Citizens have more faith in what all
stakeholders sayparticularly environmental and
local residents groups. They are fine with
developments 10 km away but are less supportive
within 1 km or within urban areas. They are more
likely to be younger than 55
24 of Canadians
Questioning Citizens query the trustworthiness of
government and larger organizations, giving more
heed to local residents and environmental groups.
They do tend to support infrastructure
development, but get wary when it gets a little
too close for comfort. A majority see benefit in
locating development in or near urban areas
24 of Canadians
Negative Cynics are generally anti-infrastructure
especially if it is in-town or near their homes.
They also have little trust in any of the
stakeholders. Their motto is just say no
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Support for Energy from Waste Transmission Lines
Urban Infrastructure Supporters
Trusting Citizens
QuestioningCitizens
Negative Cynics
Support Energy from Waste Plant within 10 Km
Support Energy from Waste Plant within 1 Km
Support Electricity Transmission Line within 10
Km
Support Electricity Transmission Line within 1 Km
As the country grows, there is a need for more
power. If a INSERT ONE OF CONCEPTS BELOW,
RANDOMLY SELECTED were proposed to be built
within ten (10) kilometers of your home, would
you support or oppose it? If a show the same
concept again were proposed to be built within
one (1) kilometer of your home, would you support
or oppose it?
21
Support for Wind Power Urban Plants/Disposal
Sites
Urban Infrastructure Supporters
Trusting Citizens
QuestioningCitizens
Negative Cynics
Support Wind Power within 10 km
Support Wind Power within 1 km
Plants and disposal sites in or near urban centres
As the country grows, there is a need for more
power. If a INSERT ONE OF CONCEPTS BELOW,
RANDOMLY SELECTED were proposed to be built
within ten (10) kilometers of your home, would
you support or oppose it? If a show the same
concept again were proposed to be built within
one (1) kilometer of your home, would you support
or oppose it?
Power plants, waste disposal sites and large
factories can be located either close to major
urban centers or away from large numbers of
people.  Locating these plants and disposal sites
farther away has increased costs and more impact
on the environment, because of energy consumed in
transportation or transmission.  Locating them
closer brings them into urban or suburban areas
and nearer to your home. Which of the following
comes closest to how you feel about where these
types of large plants and disposal sites should
be located Places like power plants, waste
disposal sites and large factories should be
located in or close to major urban centers, to
reduce their costs and effect on the environment,
Or, places like power plants, waste disposal
sites and large factories should not be located
in or close to major urban centers, even though
it will increase costs and effect on the
environment
22
Trust in Stakeholders Input -- extremely/very
trustworthy by segment --
Urban Infrastructure Supporters
Trusting Citizens
QuestioningCitizens
Negative Cynics
Environmental group
Local residents groups
Media
Municipality
Gov't regulatory agency
Developer
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Segments Age and Gender
Urban Infrastructure Supporters
Trusting Citizens
QuestioningCitizens
Negative Cynics
Female
under 55
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Questioning Citizens Strategy
Profile
Implications for Strategy

• Educated, Higher income
• Left leaning, female
• Opinion leaders engaged in community affairs
• Multiple community memberships and network
• Read the media but follow their own conscience
• May be motivated to seek out information on the
  project
• Guardians - Potential NIMBY leadership
• Distrust of government and big business

• A priority segment to reach because of their
  influence and ability to be mobilized
• Prefer rational arguments over emotional ones
• Educate on project benefits
• Online presence is important
• Respond to environmental and community benefit
  arguments
• Reach by cultivating 3rd party resident
  -environmental group support
• Design communications to appeal to a female
  audience

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Trusting Citizens Strategy
Profile
Implications for Strategy

• Younger, more female than male, not as educated
  or as high income
• Not as engaged in community affairs
• Not as likely to question development
• Not as likely to read media or seek out
  information
• Have more trust in all groups including
  environmental and residents groups
• Highest trust in government of all segments

• Grass roots communication methods preferred
• Push communications tactics
• See 3rd party endorsers as important
• Vocal support by municipal and provincial
  government leadership useful
• Youth oriented messages and images
• Female oriented communication preferred

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What works

• Assess the attitudinal segments in the community
  regarding your project
• Design communications programs to appeal to both
  the Questioning Citizen and Trusting Citizen
  segments what about your project appeals to the
  benefit of the broader community?
• Distinguish between purists and pragmatist
  opponents
• Engage community groups early
• Focus attention on mobilizing and enabling
  supporters to be more visible
• Refrain from engaging crusaders (purists) and
  guardians (pragmatists) directly in the media
• Enlist community members to fight misinformation
  campaigns
• Create opportunities to showcase tangible
  indications of broader community support
  publish opinion polls, hold events, mobilize
  supporters

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Developers want

• A clear procurement path
• Low regulator and government approval uncertainty
• Indications of local political and public support
• First Nations - duty to consult
• Low schedule uncertainty supplier risk ROE
  targets
• A credible government procurement team-
  experienced in previous procurements- credible
  outside advisors
• Track record in taking procurement to successful
  end
• Acceptable financial and business risks
• Emerging GHG policy risk and opportunity
  consideration
• A sense of important value adds to distinguish
  their bid