Our client: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
The brief and what we did: We were commissioned to benchmark the EBRD environmental and social policy with other multilateral development bank policies and recommend changes to the EBRD policy to maintain its relevance and contemporary position.
A granular approach was necessary with our team of subject matter specialists covering the full spectrum of sustainability issues, including security and human rights, land rights, cultural heritage, gender, biodiversity and nature conservation. Over 400 requirements were benchmarked between five other multilateral development banks, assessing the relative stringency and alignment with emerging sustainability trends.
The outcome: We provided EBRD with recommendations to update its environmental and social policy for each of their performance standards covering:
- Assessment & management of E&S impacts
- Labour and working conditions
- Resource efficiency and pollution prevention and control
- Health, safety and security
- Land acquisition, restrictions on land use and involuntary resettlement
- Biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of living natural resources
- Indigenous peoples
- Cultural heritage
- Financial intermediaries
- Information disclosure and stakeholder engagement
