Corporate communication in ecological crises: Strategies and social and environmental responsibility in a case of oil spill in the Peruvian sea

Keywords: corporate social responsibility, sustainable development goals, sustained multisectoral governance, ecological impact, public trust

Abstract

Care for the environment by citizens, companies, states, and other actors is imperative today, in accordance with the global public policy guidelines reflected in the 2030 Agenda. In this context, the study aimed to analyze the narratives on corporate social responsibility of the actors involved in the oil spill on the coast of Ventanilla, Callao, Peru. To this end, a qualitative phenomenological and hermeneutic research  design was used. The results show that, given the damage caused to the marine ecosystem and the local population, it is urgent to strengthen the socio- environmental responsibility of the Repsol company and reorient crisis communication towards transparency, empathy, and the  well-being  of the affected communities. Likewise, effective and sustained multisectoral governance is required, with verifiable goals, defined deadlines, and public monitoring, aimed at addressing the ecological and socioeconomic impacts and restoring trust. It is concluded that the case of the oil spill disaster on the coast of Ventanilla highlights the need to strengthen social and environmental responsibility and to refocus crisis communication towards transparency and the well-being of the affected communities.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Actualidad Ambiental–SPDA. (2022, 31 de enero). Repsol indica que derrame fue de 10 396 barriles de petróleo, pero Minam asegura que la cifra es de 11 900. https://www.actualidadambiental.pe/repsol-indica-que- derrame-fue-de-10-396-barriles-de-petroleo-pero-minam-asegura-que-la-cifra-es-de-11-900/

Bowen, H. R. (1953). Social responsibilities of the businessman. Harper & Brothers.

Bowen, H. R. (2013). Social responsibilities of the businessman. University of Iowa Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt20q1w8f

Carroll, A. B. (1979). A three-dimensional conceptual model of corporate performance. Academy of Management Review, 4(4), 497–505. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1979.4498296

Carvajal, B. C., Marín González, F., & Ibarra Morales, L. (2023). Triangulación de métodos en Ciencias Sociales como fundamento en la investigación universitaria en Latinoamérica. Mayéutica: Revista Científica de Humanidades y Artes, 11(2), 43–58. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8140907

Cházaro-Arellano, E. H. (2024). Análisis de datos en las investigaciones cualitativas: El reto frente al investigador. Revista Arbitrada Interdisciplinaria Koinonía, 9(17), 168–171. https://doi.org/10.35381/r.k.v8i17.3163

Choi, J. (2012). A content analysis of BP’s press releases dealing with crisis. Public Relations Review, 38(3), 422–429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2012.03.004

D’Avanzo, E., Franch, M., & Borgonovi, E. (2021). Ethics and sustainable management: An empirical modelling of Carroll’s pyramid for the Italian landscape. Sustainability, 13(21), 12057. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132112057

Defensoría del Pueblo. (2022, 8 de abril). Informe de Adjuntía N.° 10-2022- DP/AMASPPI. Derrame de petróleo en la Refinería La Pampilla. Recomendaciones frente a un desastre ambiental. https://www.defensoria.gob.pe/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Informe-Derrame-Ventanilla.pdf

Defensoría del Pueblo. (2023, 16 de enero). Informe de Alerta N.° 001- IA-2023 – Derrame de petróleo en Ventanilla (incluye dato de 48 playas afectadas). https://www.defensoria.gob.pe/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/001-IA-Derrame-de-Petr%C3%B3leo-en-Ventanilla.pdf

Dorio Alcarraz, I., Sabariego Puig, M., & Massot Lafon, I. (2012). Características generales de la metodología cualitativa. En R. Bisquerra (Coord.), Metodología de la investigación educativa (pp. 275–292). La Muralla.

Drucker, P. F. (1984). The new meaning of corporate social responsibility. California Management Review, 26(2), 53–63.

Federation for International Human Rights (FIDH). (2022). Executive summary: Report on Repsol oil spill in Peru. https://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/executive_summary_-_report_on_repsol_oil_spill_en_.pdf

FinoldeFranco,M.R.,&AcostaFaneite,S.F.(2024).Elmétodofenomenológico- hermenéutico: Una revisión semisistemática. Revista Dialogus, 1(14), 13–35. https://doi.org/10.37594/dialogus.v1i14.1507

Frederick, W. C. (1960). The growing concern over business responsibility. California Management Review, 2(4), 54–61. https://doi.org/10.2307/41165405

Gibbs, G. (2012). El análisis de datos cualitativos en investigación cualitativa. Morata.

Gond, J.-P. (2013). Preface to the 2013 edition. In H. R. Bowen, Social responsibilities of the businessman (pp. vii–xxiv). University of Iowa Press.

Gros, A. (2024). ¿Qué es la fenomenología? Una introducción breve y actualizada para sociólogos. Revista Colombiana de Sociología, 46(1), 293–324. http://www.scielo.org.co/pdf/rcs/v46n1/0120-159X-rcs-46-01-293.pdf

Hernández-Sampieri, R., & Mendoza Torres, C. P. (2024). Metodología de la investigación. Las rutas cuantitativa, cualitativa y mixta (2.ª ed.). McGraw-Hill.

Hopkins, M. (2003). The planetary bargain: Corporate social responsibility matters.Earthscan/Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781849773201

Husserl, E. (1970). The crisis of European sciences and transcendental phenomenology. Northwestern University Press. https://nupress.northwestern.edu/9780810167988/crisis-of-european-sciences-and-transcendental-phenomenology/

Kotler, P., & Lee, N. (2005). Corporate social responsibility: Doing the most good for your company and your cause. Wiley. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Corporate%2BSocial%2BResponsibility%3A%2BDoing%2Bthe%2BMost%2BGood%2Bfor%2BYour%2BCompany%2Band%2BYour%2BCause-p-9780471476115

Lin, Y. (2021). Legitimation strategies in corporate discourse: A comparison of UK and Chinese corporate social responsibility reports. Journal of Pragmatics, 177, 157–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2021.02.009

Medina Romero, M. Á., Hurtado Tiza, D. R., Muñoz Morillo, J. P., Ochoa Cervantez, D. O., & Izúndegui Ordóñez, G. (2023). Método mixto de investigación cuantitativo y cualitativo. Instituto Universitario de Innovación, Ciencia y Tecnología. https://doi.org/10.35622/inudi.b.105

Mejías, C. (2023). La hermenéutica y sus múltiples elementos. Revista Grupo CIEG, 6(1), 184–198. https://revista.grupocieg.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Ed.61-184-198-Mejias-Carlos.pdf

McGuire, W. (2022). The impact of the Deepwater Horizon accident on BP’s reputation and stock price. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 9, 155. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01151-4

McWilliams, A., & Siegel, D. (2001). Corporate social responsibility: A theory of the firm perspective. Academy of Management Review, 26(1), 117– 127. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2001.4011987

Minam. (2022a, 22 de enero). Resolución Ministerial N.° 021-2022-MINAM: Declaran en emergencia ambiental el área marino-costera y aprueban el Plan de Acción Inmediato y de Corto Plazo. https://www.gob.pe/institucion/minam/normas-legales/2713052-021-2022-minam

Minam. (2022b, 22 de enero). Resolución Ministerial N.° 021-2022-MINAM [PDF]. https://sinia.minam.gob.pe/sites/default/files/sinia/archivos/public/docs/rm._021-2022-minam.pdf

Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2nd ed.). Sage.

Naciones Unidas. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (A/RES/70/1). United Nations. https://sdgs.un.org/publications/transforming-our-world-2030-agenda- sustainable-development-17981

OEFA. (2022). Informe N.° 00304-2022-OEFA/DSEM-CHID (derrames del 15 y 24 de enero de 2022, Terminal Multiboyas N.° 2, Refinería La Pampilla). https://sinia.minam.gob.pe/sites/default/files/siar-lima/archivos/public/docs/informe_oefa_derrame_petroleo_area_de_ hidrocarburos.pdf

OEFA. (s. f.). Playas afectadas – Acciones de supervisión ambiental ante el derrame de petróleo. https://www.gob.pe/institucion/oefa/informes-publicaciones/3470584-playas-afectadas

Oxfam. (2024, 15 de enero). Revelando el daño del derrame de Repsol. https://oi-files-cng-v2-prod.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/peru.oxfam.org/s3fs-public/Revelando%20el%20dan%CC%83o%20del%20derrame%20de%20Repsol.pdf

Painia, B. (2012). The effectiveness of British Petroleum’s post–oil spill campaign (Honors thesis). University of Southern Mississippi. https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/85/

Pérez Ripossio, R. (2023). ¿Triangular, combinar o integrar? Los usos de la convergencia metodológica en la investigación cualitativa: Una experiencia teórico-empírica. En VIII Encuentro Latinoamericano de Metodología de las Ciencias Sociales: Desigualdades, territorios y fronteras (pp. 1–22). Red Latinoamericana de Metodología de las Ciencias Sociales. https://www.memoria.fahce.unlp.edu.ar/trab_eventos/ev.17232/ev.17232.pdf

Piña Ferrer, L. (2023). El enfoque cualitativo: Una alternativa compleja dentro del mundo de la investigación. Revista Arbitrada Interdisciplinaria Koinonía, 8(15), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.35381/r.k.v8i15.2440

Pulido, V. P., Olivera, E., Katayama, R., Arana, C., & Riveros, J. (2023). Percepción socioambiental sobre el derrame de petróleo en el litoral peruano en 2022. Apuntes Universitarios, 13(3), 22–31. https://doi.org/10.17162/au.v13i3.1519

Repsol. (s. f.-a). Historia – Refinería La Pampilla. https://www.repsol.pe/es/la-pampilla/historia/index.cshtml

Repsol. (s. f.-b). Repsol en Perú. https://www.repsol.com/en/about-us/where-we-work/repsol-worldwide/the-americas/peru/index.cshtml

Sam, K. (2024). Insights from the Ogoni remediation project, Niger Delta, Nigeria. Environmental Management, 74, 493–505. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-023-01885-y

Suárez, I., Varguillas, C., & Roncero, C. (2022). Técnicas e instrumentos de investigación: Diseño y validación desde la perspectiva cuantitativa. Fondo Editorial de la Universidad Pedagógica Experimental Libertador.

UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). (2011). Environmental assessment of Ogoniland. https://www.unep.org/resources/report/environmental-assessment-ogoniland

UNEP & Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN). (2023, 20 de diciembre). Closure of UNEP’s technical assistance project to support HYPREP remediation. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/statements/closure-uneps-technical-assistance-project-support-hyprep-remediation

United Nations Global Compact. (s. f.). The Ten Principles. https://unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc/mission/principles

Van Manen, M. (1990). Researching lived experience: Human science for an action sensitive pedagogy. State University of New York Press.
Published
2026-02-18
How to Cite
Venegas-Mejía , V. L., Orellana Marcial , L. M., & Calvay Laynes, S. M. de los M. (2026). Corporate communication in ecological crises: Strategies and social and environmental responsibility in a case of oil spill in the Peruvian sea. Political Questions, 44(84), 123-141. Retrieved from https://www.produccioncientificaluz.org/index.php/cuestiones/article/view/45207