Social Procurement in Renewable Energy: What a Four-Person Panel Actually Agreed On

The short answer

Federal and state governments have published social procurement frameworks for renewable energy, but a panel discussion hosted by Catchment (formerly SocialPro) found that developers are not yet implementing them consistently at the project level, particularly for offshore wind and regional developments. Robert Bruce (SEC), Katia Zanutta (Vestas) and David Ghaly (Jera Nex bp) agreed that place-based planning, workforce development, shared pipeline data and disciplined measurement are the levers most likely to close that gap.

Where does social procurement in renewable energy actually stand today?

Catchment recently hosted a webinar panel on social procurement maturity in the renewable energy sector. The panel, made up of Robert Bruce from SEC, Katia Zanutta from Vestas and David Ghaly from Jera Nex bp, reached a consistent view: the sector is still developing rather than mature. Governments have set clear frameworks and policy expectations, but developers are not yet implementing them consistently at the project level.

That gap matters because renewable energy projects carry many of the same social procurement obligations as construction and infrastructure more broadly, while operating under a different set of constraints. Project pipelines are less predictable, developers often build workforces from scratch in regional areas, and delivery windows can span years rather than a single construction phase.

The panel did not conclude that renewable energy is behind on intent. It concluded that the sector is behind on consistent, repeatable delivery.

Why does one renewable energy project's approach not transfer to the next?

Robert, Katia and David were direct on this point: developers must tailor social procurement targets and delivery methods to each project's technology, regional setting, available workforce and local supplier capacity. A solar farm in one region and an offshore wind development in another are not interchangeable problems, even where the same policy framework applies to both.

Workforce capability is the constraint, not the intent

The panel identified workforce development, early partnerships and a reliable project pipeline as the essential ingredients for building capability, particularly in regional communities and in the emerging offshore wind supply chain. Without a visible pipeline, suppliers and workers have little basis to invest in the training or capacity that future projects will need.

Supply chain readiness depends on shared information

David and Robert called on developers and stakeholders to share local project knowledge and produce clearer pipeline information, so suppliers can plan capability investment with more confidence. Katia raised a practical mechanism for closing this gap: matchmaking, which connects specialist contractors directly with diverse and regional businesses rather than leaving that connection to chance.

If your organisation is early in mapping these obligations against project delivery, the Catchment Social Procurement Reporting Playbook (catchment.software/playbook) sets out the reporting structures and common compliance gaps that construction and infrastructure teams encounter, most of which apply directly to renewable energy delivery.

What should renewable energy developers actually do differently?

Robert, David and Katia were aligned on measurement as the mechanism that makes the rest of this real. Measurement enforces commitments, forecasts delivery, identifies opportunities and lets reporting adapt to different policy requirements as a project moves through its lifecycle. Without it, targets remain intentions rather than outcomes.

Learn from construction, but do not copy it directly

Katia, Robert and David concluded that developers in renewable energy can adopt established construction-sector social procurement practices, but only with adaptation. Renewable projects carry more delivery uncertainty, more regional variation and longer operational lifespans than a typical construction project, and reporting approaches must account for that.

Community benefit claims need testing, not asserting

The panel connected social procurement directly to social licence and community benefit, with a clear caution attached: developers must test claims about local benefit through genuine local relationships, evidence and community knowledge. A local supplier claim that cannot be evidenced is a liability, not a credential.

The barriers are specific, and so is the response

Each panellist named a different constraint. Katia identified pipeline uncertainty as the primary barrier. David pointed to early-stage capability and resourcing constraints. Robert emphasised leadership commitment as the deciding factor in whether organisations act on any of this. The panel agreed on a shared direction: provide clearer information, engage early, and act within each organisation's own sphere of influence, rather than waiting for sector-wide certainty before starting.

How does Catchment support social procurement reporting for renewable energy projects?

The themes from this panel point to the same operational problem Catchment is built to solve: measurement and reporting that adapt as a project moves through different phases and different policy requirements, without teams rebuilding a spreadsheet for every phase. SocialPro is the module that carries that work.

Catchment supports renewable energy developers and their supply chains with:

• Structured tracking of workforce and supplier participation across the life of a project, not just at a single reporting milestone
• Reporting that adapts to different jurisdictional and policy requirements as projects span multiple frameworks
• A system of record for local and regional supplier engagement, so developers back community benefit claims with evidence rather than assertion
• Audit-ready compliance reporting that meets the same scrutiny applied to construction and infrastructure projects

If your organisation is trying to quantify the administrative cost of tracking this manually across a multi-year project, the Catchment Reporting Time Calculator (catchment.software/calculator) provides an estimate based on project volume and reporting obligations.

Policy alone will not mature social procurement in renewable energy. Measurement and shared pipeline visibility, backed by reporting that stands up to scrutiny, will. Closing that operational gap is what Catchment is built to do.

Frequently asked questions

Is social procurement in renewable energy the same as in construction?

Not entirely. Renewable energy projects carry many of the same social procurement obligations as construction and infrastructure, but developers face less predictable delivery pipelines, more regional variation and longer operational lifecycles. Developers can adapt construction-sector practices, but should not apply them directly without adjustment.

What is the biggest barrier to social procurement maturity in renewable energy?

There is no single barrier. A Catchment panel identified pipeline uncertainty, early-stage capability and resourcing constraints, and inconsistent leadership commitment as the three factors most responsible for holding back consistent delivery.

Why does measurement matter so much for renewable energy social procurement?

Measurement turns a social procurement commitment into a delivered outcome. It lets developers enforce commitments, forecast delivery, identify supplier opportunities, and adapt reporting as a project moves through different phases and policy requirements over a multi-year lifecycle.

How can renewable energy developers support regional supplier capability?

The panel identified early partnerships, clearer and more visible project pipeline information, and structured matchmaking between specialist contractors and diverse or regional businesses as the most effective mechanisms, so suppliers can invest in capability with confidence rather than guesswork.