To facilitate our ability to address negative impacts on affected communities, we often employ community liaison officers who engage with local stakeholders to gather feedback and address grievances related to our projects, particularly during the planning and execution phases. We use various methods and channels to collect community input, including hosting informational town halls and open forums, telephone lines, emails, and social media as well as designated drop-off boxes in locations to allow residents to submit concerns anonymously.

Additionally, our Whistleblower Hotline enables individuals in affected communities to report any inappropriate or illegal conduct confidentially.

Local people and businesses have a vital role to play in the growth of the renewable energy industry. In the US, we developed a workforce development programme that has provided 335 union workers in New York, Rhode Island, and Connecticut with the credentials necessary to work offshore.

The training programme finalised in 2024 and was delivered in part at the National Offshore Wind Training Center (NOWTC), to which we have committed to give a USD 10 million founding grant. The programme includes a three-part medical evaluation, helicopter underwater escape training, and Global Wind Organisation Basic Safety Training, each of which are critical for workers to safely carry out work in the offshore environment.

Providing worker safety training is part of Ørsted’s first-of-its-kind National Offshore Wind Agreement with North America’s Building Trades Unions, and the programme shows our ongoing efforts to equip local workers with key skills to pursue careers in New York’s growing offshore wind industry.

Community benefit funds To create a positive impact in local communities, we support initiatives that generate local employment, provide educational opportunities, and drive enhancements to public infrastructure.