Programme Background
Sakhalin Island is the site of the world’s largest Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) processing plant. Offshore oil and gas reserves are rapidly being developed by a number of multinationals in the sector, including Shell, Sakhalin Energy International Corporation (SEIC) and BP. These developments undoubtedly have an effect on the local population of Sakhalin, environmentally, socially and economically. 

Fortunately, many of the multinationals involved in this phase of Sakhalin’s development are sensitive to many of the potentially damaging aspects of oil and gas operations on local populations. The overall global trend is away from handouts to keep communities onside during a tricky negotiation to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the seeking of long- term sustainable development programmes.  The challenge of today is actually recognising what is and what is not sustainable and being able to develop significant and appropriate partnerships for agreed programmes.

Programme Objectives
LEF’s aim has been to facilitate the formation of tri-sector partnerships, bringing together representatives from government, non- governmental organisations and the private sector with the goal of establishing multi-stakeholder development projects to promote socially, environmentally and economically sustainable development in the region.

Through this LEF is setting up a number of workshops across the region of Sakhalin to initiate such tri-sector partnerships in order to help the key stakeholders to define the main barriers and solutions to issues that concern them and to collectively initiate and formulate concrete sustainable development projects for Sakhalin

The programme is initially funded by the British Government’s; Partners for Environmental Cooperation in Europe (PECE) initiative

Programme Activities
The workshops bring together representatives from all three sectors; government, non- governmental organisations and the private sector. The workshops seek to;

• Establish a local mechanism to reach consensus on major development themes

• Identify perceived roles and responsibilities in sustainable development

• Explore benefits and barriers to partnership

• Identify key local issues and partnerships for sustainable development

• Develop access to international funds to augment limited local budgets

• Develop a mechanism to promote, develop and maintain local partnerships

One of the early workshops to take place was 'Partnerships For Growth', 25th May 2005 .

View the full report and outcomes of this workshop here