Chapter 9
Closing Reflections
This chapter is divided into four main sections. In the first, I briefly revisit each of the
book chapters and summarise their key points. In the second, I revisit the research
questions, and synthesise my main findings regarding O&G social investment. In the
third, I outline the main implications of my research and how these may contribute
to social investment policies and practices. In the fourth and final section, I identify
some limitations of my research, and suggest some areas for future research in the
field of O&G social investment.
9.1 A Brief Overview of the Book
In this book, I aimed to explore how O&G social investment experts understood and
practised social investment in the O&G industry through attending to the discourses
they adopted when talking about social investment in the O&G sector. I also aimed to
explore how experts dealt with the challenges they faced while implementing social
investment. Specifically, I interviewed 20 social investment experts, from 11 countries. While all the experts worked within the O&G sector, 17 were social investment
experts and three were government experts. My findings provided important insights
into a multitude of different ways social investment is understood and practised in
the O&G sector.
Chapter 2 introduced and contextualised the O&G sector, its project cycles
and activities, and main impacts on host communities and societies. This chapter
drew on examples of direct and indirect (environmental and economic) impacts
on communities and societies that host O&G operations around the globe. This
chapter also contextualised social investment as a mechanism used by O&G companies to compensate and/or mitigate for the risks and impacts of O&G activities;
and by funding institutions, such as the World Bank Group, to promote sustainable
development in countries with low indicators of human development.
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
R. Costa Camões Rabello, Understandings of Social Investment in the Oil and Gas Sector,
Approaches to Global Sustainability, Markets, and Governance,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6556-8_9
129
Closing Reflections
This chapter is divided into four main sections. In the first, I briefly revisit each of the
book chapters and summarise their key points. In the second, I revisit the research
questions, and synthesise my main findings regarding O&G social investment. In the
third, I outline the main implications of my research and how these may contribute
to social investment policies and practices. In the fourth and final section, I identify
some limitations of my research, and suggest some areas for future research in the
field of O&G social investment.
9.1 A Brief Overview of the Book
In this book, I aimed to explore how O&G social investment experts understood and
practised social investment in the O&G industry through attending to the discourses
they adopted when talking about social investment in the O&G sector. I also aimed to
explore how experts dealt with the challenges they faced while implementing social
investment. Specifically, I interviewed 20 social investment experts, from 11 countries. While all the experts worked within the O&G sector, 17 were social investment
experts and three were government experts. My findings provided important insights
into a multitude of different ways social investment is understood and practised in
the O&G sector.
Chapter 2 introduced and contextualised the O&G sector, its project cycles
and activities, and main impacts on host communities and societies. This chapter
drew on examples of direct and indirect (environmental and economic) impacts
on communities and societies that host O&G operations around the globe. This
chapter also contextualised social investment as a mechanism used by O&G companies to compensate and/or mitigate for the risks and impacts of O&G activities;
and by funding institutions, such as the World Bank Group, to promote sustainable
development in countries with low indicators of human development.
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
R. Costa Camões Rabello, Understandings of Social Investment in the Oil and Gas Sector,
Approaches to Global Sustainability, Markets, and Governance,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6556-8_9
129