Environmental and Social Safeguards

The economic and health crisis that we are facing has highlighted the need to strengthen accountability and socio-environmental performance. Currently, there are countless internationally recognized environmental and social codes, standards and good practices that define the rules and objectives to which we must aim. However, the challenge is in their implementation. An … [Read more...] about The seven key elements of an Environmental and Social Management System

Luis has been chosen to represent his community in negotiations with the government and a foreign company that is planning to build a big energy project on their land. On the way home from a recent meeting, he suspected that he was being followed and received messages on social media threatening to make him disappear if he continues to object to the project. Juanita works … [Read more...] about A human rights approach to development

Generally speaking, assessing the attractiveness of impact-oriented bonds (IOBs), including green, blue and social impact bonds, revolves around two aspects: understanding the financial opportunity of the investment and recognizing its expected environmental and social (E&S) benefits and outcomes. Financial opportunity In principle, financial investors (FIs) may be … [Read more...] about Reflecting on financial opportunities and governance strategies: the attractiveness of green, blue and other impact-oriented bonds

When we design development projects, our objective is always to improve lives. Ideally, this objective can be achieved with minimal to no negative externalities. However, on occasion and even after careful consideration of the alternatives, direct or indirect adverse impacts on some groups cannot be completely avoided and must instead be responsibly managed to ensure that … [Read more...] about Navigating through the unavoidable: responsible management of involuntary resettlement