Our approach to managing community grievances follows the precautionary principle of obtaining local approval of OMV operations. This involves identifying and resolving the issues of concern to the local community early on. We strive to conduct our operations in a way that reduces any disruption to our neighboring communities to a minimum; however, grievances can still arise. We manage these grievances through localized Community Grievance Mechanisms (CGMs). The CGMs help OMV and those potentially impacted by its operations to resolve issues in a non-judicial manner and, depending on the case, offer access to a solution. At OMV, local CGMs are a key tool for preventing and managing our potential negative impacts on local communities, as we can identify and address issues early on and prevent them from escalating. In addition, we can provide remedy in case negative impacts do occur. They build trust with local communities, help gather valuable feedback from communities that enhance project design, and ensure we maintain our social license to operate.
The establishment of CGMs is a formalized process to manage concerns and grievances from communities and other stakeholders in a systematic and transparent manner, and offer the opportunity for remedy. Based on the Group process, local procedures stipulate a stringent approach to systematically receiving, documenting, addressing, and resolving grievances in all the countries where we operate. This involves implementation of an adequate and accessible grievance channel for affected communities at the location by the general manager on-site, establishing and maintaining relationships with local community stakeholders, addressing local concerns and complaints, and providing remedy where necessary. Remedy may include apologies, financial or non-financial compensation, harm prevention through injunctions or guarantees of non-repetition, punitive sanctions (such as fines), restitution, restoration, and rehabilitation. We have a systematic approach to tracking and monitoring issues raised through our grievance mechanisms. Each grievance is thoroughly investigated and addressed, ensuring that community members have access to appropriate remedies tailored to their specific case.
Our management of community grievances aims to be fully aligned with the Ipieca best practice guidelines and with the Effectiveness Criteria of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The Effectiveness Criteria require a grievance mechanism to be legitimate, accessible, predictable, equitable, transparent, rights-compatible, a source of continuous learning, and based on engagement and dialogue.
Local mechanisms allow for cases to be dealt with in a timely manner by staff familiar with the local context. We aim to resolve all grievances promptly. Depending on the severity and type of issue, response times can range from within 24 hours for urgent cases to a maximum of 45 days for those requiring detailed investigations. An example of this in action is the “green phone” at the Schwechat refinery, which has ensured 24/7 direct contact for all neighbors for several years now. Every call is answered by the shift supervisor, and in cases of perceived noises or odors, which are the main source of grievances at the refinery, the shift supervisor checks the refinery immediately for potential sources so that the issue can be resolved as quickly as possible. The local channels can thus differ and are adapted to the needs of the rights holders.
Community Grievance Mechanisms are in place in all operated Energy assets, at the OMV refineries in Schwechat (Austria) and Burghausen (Germany), and at OMV Petrom’s Petrobrazi refinery and Brazi power plant in Romania. Borealis has a hotline system through which grievances can be reported by both internal and external stakeholders. Details about the available channels can be found on our country websites and at site locations. We also support the establishment of grievance mechanisms in our business relationships; for instance, in Yemen, which we exited in 2025, we previously supported key contractors in setting up grievance mechanisms.
In the event of OMV interference with the rights of local communities, especially those of indigenous peoples, we are committed to developing adequate mitigation, reparation, and compensation plans, in close consultation with all relevant stakeholders, including the host government. For instance, in cases of concerns or complaints related to compensation for the non-utilization of land (such as above-ground pipes, overhead lines, concrete blocks), we ensure appropriate monetary compensation for land use, or where feasible offer a substitute piece of land. Additionally, when a site is decommissioned after project completion, we make sure it is properly restored and rehabilitated. Special care must also be taken in relation to indigenous groups, especially in the context of land and property rights. Where compensation may be a fair remedy for non-indigenous groups, for indigenous groups, ancestral land often holds a more special meaning. We consider the customs, traditions, rules, and legal systems of indigenous peoples in tailoring our engagement and remedy processes.
OMV has set a target to assess the CGMs at all sites against the UN Effectiveness Criteria for Non-Judicial Grievance Mechanisms by 2025 (see S3-5 Targets Related to Affected Communities). The CGM assessments review the existing processes and practices in place and identify practical improvement measures. The CGM improvement action plans are implemented by local community relations focal persons and monitored by the Group Community Relations & Social Investments function.
Grievances can be submitted anonymously if desired. They can be submitted individually, on behalf of another individual, or as a collective case, for instance by a group of community members through a joint letter, by a mayor approaching OMV on behalf of the community, or via a union representing value chain workers. There is no restriction on the types of issues raised, and the grievance channels are non-exclusive in terms of who can lodge complaints. Grievances are treated confidentially and OMV does not seek retaliation against any community members who report a grievance. Protection against retaliation as set out in our Code of Conduct is an important measure to ensure that community members feel safe to raise concerns, including negative aspects related to their rights, cultural heritage, or involuntary resettlement. We actively encourage community members to speak up about any issues, and we are committed to protecting them from any form of retaliation resulting from them sharing their feedback or concerns. The CGMs help OMV and those potentially impacted by its operations to resolve issues without resorting to the legal system. However, OMV’s CGMs do not hinder or prevent affected communities from accessing judicial solutions or other remedies for their complaints or grievances.
The availability of the grievance mechanism is communicated to all external stakeholders. It is designed to be readily accessible to all community members, particularly vulnerable groups. We recognize the specific role and vulnerability of human rights defenders, so we strongly oppose any threats, intimidation, and physical, verbal, or legal attacks against them in relation to our operations. To ensure that communities affected by OMV are not only aware of our grievance processes but also trust in their effectiveness, we monitor the number and types of grievances submitted. We analyze the ratio of received grievances versus resolved grievances, including those resolved by remediation, to gain an insight into the reliability of our process. In addition, OMV conducts assessments of the CGM processes to ensure their effectiveness. During these assessments, internal and external stakeholders are consulted, for example via interviews, on the current performance of the CGMs and how to design improvements that may be necessary.