Six months have passed. Wodd has announced its intention to create a biomass power station in its North Forest, to be fuelled by trees from the North Forest itself and also waste biomass products from other timber land owned by Wodd in that area.
The news has received mixed reactions. Younger residents of the small towns close to North Forest were delighted because their local economy will be boosted. Older residents and those living further afield within the region complain that the power station will pollute the environment and the destruction of the North Forest will blight an area of outstanding beauty. A residents' group has been established online, with support from Marland's largest environmental lobbying group, to block the proposal.
You have received the following email from Marcus Svenson, Finance Director:
From: Marcus Svenson, Finance Director
To: Senior Finance Manager
Subject: Stakeholder issues
Hi,
I have sent you a link to the website created by the protestors against the biomass power station. This is causing serious problems because we still need to gain formal Government approval, although the Government supports biomass as an energy source as it is far cleaner and more sustainable than fossil fuel and far less controversial than nuclear. Needless to say, the press has picked up on this and is starting to run the story.
We had reached agreements in principle with Marland Bank for funding for this project and with a civil engineering contractor for the construction work, but both are now nervous about signing contracts because neither wishes to be associated with an environmental scandal.
I need two things from you.
Please draft the body of a press release that we can issue in response to the claims on the protestors' website. Add a few comments to explain what your arguments are trying to achieve (I don't want us simply to state that we disagree with the protestors, I want us to offer meaningful arguments in response). Just write your draft as part of your reply to this email and I will circulate it to the other Board members for approval before we submit it.
Please suggest some safeguards that we can put in place to enable us to retain the support of the bank and the civil engineer throughout this project.
Marcus
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