data/ps-en.txt

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Performance Standards on Environmental and Social
Sustainability
January 1, 2012
Overview of Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability
1. IFC’s Sustainability Framework articulates the Corporation’s strategic commitment to sustainable development, and is an integral part of IFC’s approach to risk management. The Sustainability Framework comprises IFC’s Policy and Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability, and IFC’s Access to Information Policy. The Policy on Environmental and Social Sustainability describes IFC’s commitments, roles, and responsibilities related to environmental and social sustainability. IFC’s Access to Information Policy reflects IFC’s commitment to transparency and good governance on its operations, and outlines the Corporation’s institutional disclosure obligations regarding its investment and advisory services. The Performance Standards are directed towards clients, providing guidance on how to identify risks and impacts, and are designed to help avoid, mitigate, and manage risks and impacts as a way of doing business in a sustainable way, including stakeholder engagement and disclosure obligations of the client in relation to project-level activities. In the case of its direct investments (including project and corporate finance provided through financial intermediaries), IFC requires its clients to apply the Performance Standards to manage environmental and social risks and impacts so that development opportunities are enhanced. IFC uses the Sustainability Framework along with other strategies, policies, and initiatives to direct the business activities of the Corporation in order to achieve its overall development objectives. The Performance Standards may also be applied by other financial institutions.
2. Together, the eight Performance Standards establish standards that the client1 is to meet throughout the life of an investment by IFC:
Performance Standard 1: Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts
Performance Standard 2: Labor and Working Conditions
Performance Standard 3: Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention
Performance Standard 4: Community Health, Safety, and Security
Performance Standard 5: Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement
Performance Standard 6: Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources
Performance Standard 7: Indigenous Peoples
Performance Standard 8: Cultural Heritage
3. Performance Standard 1 establishes the importance of (i) integrated assessment to identify the environmental and social impacts, risks, and opportunities of projects; (ii) effective community engagement through disclosure of project-related information and consultation with local communities on matters that directly affect them; and (iii) the client’s management of environmental and social performance throughout the life of the project. Performance Standards 2 through 8 establish objectives and requirements to avoid, minimize, and where residual impacts remain, to compensate/offset for risks and impacts to workers, Affected Communities, and the environment. While all relevant environmental and social risks and potential impacts should be considered as part of the assessment, Performance Standards 2 through 8 describe potential environmental and social risks and impacts that require particular attention. Where environmental or social risks and impacts
1 The term “client” is used throughout the Performance Standards broadly to refer to the party responsible for implementing and operating the project that is being financed, or the recipient of the financing, depending on the project structure and type of financing. The term “project” is defined in Performance Standard 1.
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Performance Standards on Environmental and Social
Sustainability
January 1, 2012
are identified, the client is required to manage them through its Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) consistent with Performance Standard 1.
4. Performance Standard 1 applies to all projects that have environmental and social risks and impacts. Depending on project circumstances, other Performance Standards may apply as well. The Performance Standards should be read together and cross-referenced as needed. The requirements section of each Performance Standard applies to all activities financed under the project, unless otherwise noted in the specific limitations described in each paragraph. Clients are encouraged to apply the ESMS developed under Performance Standard 1 to all their project activities, regardless of financing source. A number of cross-cutting topics such as climate change, gender, human rights, and water, are addressed across multiple Performance Standards.
5. In addition to meeting the requirements under the Performance Standards, clients must comply with applicable national law, including those laws implementing host country obligations under international law.
6. The World Bank Group Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines (EHS Guidelines) are technical reference documents with general and industry-specific examples of good international industry practice. IFC uses the EHS Guidelines as a technical source of information during project appraisal. The EHS Guidelines contain the performance levels and measures that are normally acceptable to IFC, and that are generally considered to be achievable in new facilities at reasonable costs by existing technology. For IFC-financed projects, application of the EHS Guidelines to existing facilities may involve the establishment of site-specific targets with an appropriate timetable for achieving them. The environmental assessment process may recommend alternative (higher or lower) levels or measures, which, if acceptable to IFC, become project- or site-specific requirements. The General EHS Guideline contains information on cross-cutting environmental, health, and safety issues potentially applicable to all industry sectors. It should be used together with the relevant industry sector guideline(s). The EHS Guidelines may be occasionally updated.
7. When host country regulations differ from the levels and measures presented in the EHS Guidelines, projects are expected to achieve whichever is more stringent. If less stringent levels or measures are appropriate in view of specific project circumstances, a full and detailed justification for any proposed alternatives is needed as part of the site-specific environmental assessment. This justification should demonstrate that the choice for any alternative performance level is protective of human health and the environment.
8. A set of eight Guidance Notes, corresponding to each Performance Standard, and an additional Interpretation Note on Financial Intermediaries offer guidance on the requirements contained in the Performance Standards, including reference materials, and on good sustainability practices to help clients improve project performance. These Guidance/Interpretation Notes may be occasionally updated.
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Performance Standard 1
Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks
and Impacts
January 1, 2012
Introduction
1. Performance Standard 1 underscores the importance of managing environmental and social performance throughout the life of a project. An effective Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) is a dynamic and continuous process initiated and supported by management, and involves engagement between the client, its workers, local communities directly affected by the project (the Affected Communities) and, where appropriate, other stakeholders.1 Drawing on the elements of the established business management process of “plan, do, check, and act,” the ESMS entails a methodological approach to managing environmental and social risks2 and impacts3 in a structured way on an ongoing basis. A good ESMS appropriate to the nature and scale of the project promotes sound and sustainable environmental and social performance, and can lead to improved financial, social, and environmental outcomes.
2. At times, the assessment and management of certain environmental and social risks and impacts may be the responsibility of the government or other third parties over which the client does not have control or influence.4 Examples of where this may happen include: (i) when early planning decisions are made by the government or third parties which affect the project site selection and/or design; and/or (ii) when specific actions directly related to the project are carried out by the government or third parties such as providing land for a project which may have previously involved the resettlement of communities or individuals and/or leading to loss of biodiversity. While the client cannot control these government or third party actions, an effective ESMS should identify the different entities involved and the roles they play, the corresponding risks they present to the client, and opportunities to collaborate with these third parties in order to help achieve environmental and social outcomes that are consistent with the Performance Standards. In addition, this Performance Standard supports the use of an effective grievance mechanism that can facilitate early indication of, and prompt remediation for those who believe that they have been harmed by a client’s actions.
3. Business should respect human rights, which means to avoid infringing on the human rights of others and address adverse human rights impacts business may cause or contribute to. Each of the Performance Standards has elements related to human rights dimensions that a project may face in the course of its operations. Due diligence against these Performance Standards will enable the client to address many relevant human rights issues in its project.
Objectives
 To identify and evaluate environmental and social risks and impacts of the project.
 To adopt a mitigation hierarchy to anticipate and avoid, or where avoidance is not possible, minimize,5 and, where residual impacts remain, compensate/offset for risks and impacts to workers, Affected Communities, and the environment.
1 Other stakeholders are those not directly affected by the project but that have an interest in it. These could include national and local authorities, neighboring projects, and/or nongovernmental organizations.
2 Environmental and social risk is a combination of the probability of certain hazard occurrences and the severity of impacts resulting from such an occurrence.
3 Environmental and social impacts refer to any change, potential or actual, to (i) the physical, natural, or cultural environment, and (ii) impacts on surrounding community and workers, resulting from the business activity to be supported.
4 Contractors retained by, or acting on behalf of the client(s), are considered to be under direct control of the client and not considered third parties for the purposes of this Performance Standard.
5 Acceptable options to minimize will vary and include: abate, rectify, repair, and/or restore impacts, as appropriate. The risk and impact mitigation hierarchy is further discussed and specified in the context of Performance Standards 2 through 8, where relevant.
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Performance Standard 1
Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks
and Impacts
January 1, 2012
 To promote improved environmental and social performance of clients through the effective use of management systems.
 To ensure that grievances from Affected Communities and external communications from other stakeholders are responded to and managed appropriately.
 To promote and provide means for adequate engagement with Affected Communities throughout the project cycle on issues that could potentially affect them and to ensure that relevant environmental and social information is disclosed and disseminated.
Scope of Application
4. This Performance Standard applies to business activities with environmental and/or social risks and/or impacts. For the purposes of this Performance Standard, the term “project” refers to a defined set of business activities, including those where specific physical elements, aspects, and facilities likely to generate risks and impacts, have yet to be identified.6 Where applicable, this could include aspects from the early developmental stages through the entire life cycle (design, construction, commissioning, operation, decommissioning, closure or, where applicable, post-closure) of a physical asset.7 The requirements of this Performance Standard apply to all business activities unless otherwise noted in the specific limitations described in each of the paragraphs below.
Requirements
Environmental and Social Assessment and Management System
5. The client, in coordination with other responsible government agencies and third parties as appropriate,8 will conduct a process of environmental and social assessment, and establish and maintain an ESMS appropriate to the nature and scale of the project and commensurate with the level of its environmental and social risks and impacts. The ESMS will incorporate the following elements: (i) policy; (ii) identification of risks and impacts; (iii) management programs; (iv) organizational capacity and competency; (v) emergency preparedness and response; (vi) stakeholder engagement; and (vii) monitoring and review.
Policy
6. The client will establish an overarching policy defining the environmental and social objectives and principles that guide the project to achieve sound environmental and social performance.9 The policy provides a framework for the environmental and social assessment and management process, and specifies that the project (or business activities, as appropriate) will comply with the applicable laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which it is being undertaken, including those laws implementing host country obligations under international law. The policy should be consistent with the principles of the Performance Standards. Under some circumstances, clients may also subscribe
6 For example, corporate entities which have portfolios of existing physical assets, and/or intend to develop or acquire new facilities, and investment funds or financial intermediaries with existing portfolios of assets and/or which intend to invest in new facilities.
7 Recognizing that this Performance Standard is used by a variety of financial institutions, investors, insurers, and owner/operators, each user should separately specify the business activities to which this Performance Standard should apply.
8 That is, those parties legally obligated and responsible for assessing and managing specific risks and impacts (e.g., government-led resettlement).
9 This requirement is a stand-alone, project-specific policy and is not intended to affect (or require alteration of) existing policies the client may have defined for non-related projects, business activities, or higher-level corporate activities.
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to other internationally recognized standards, certification schemes, or codes of practice and these too should be included in the policy. The policy will indicate who, within the client’s organization, will ensure conformance with the policy and be responsible for its execution (with reference to an appropriate responsible government agency or third party, as necessary). The client will communicate the policy to all levels of its organization.
Identification of Risks and Impacts
7. The client will establish and maintain a process for identifying the environmental and social risks and impacts of the project (see paragraph 18 for competency requirements). The type, scale, and location of the project guide the scope and level of effort devoted to the risks and impacts identification process. The scope of the risks and impacts identification process will be consistent with good international industry practice,10 and will determine the appropriate and relevant methods and assessment tools. The process may comprise a full-scale environmental and social impact assessment, a limited or focused environmental and social assessment, or straightforward application of environmental siting, pollution standards, design criteria, or construction standards.11 When the project involves existing assets, environmental and/or social audits or risk/hazard assessments can be appropriate and sufficient to identify risks and impacts. If assets to be developed, acquired or financed have yet to be defined, the establishment of an environmental and social due diligence process will identify risks and impacts at a point in the future when the physical elements, assets, and facilities are reasonably understood. The risks and impacts identification process will be based on recent environmental and social baseline data at an appropriate level of detail. The process will consider all relevant environmental and social risks and impacts of the project, including the issues identified in Performance Standards 2 through 8, and those who are likely to be affected by such risks and impacts.12 The risks and impacts identification process will consider the emissions of greenhouse gases, the relevant risks associated with a changing climate and the adaptation opportunities, and potential transboundary effects, such as pollution of air, or use or pollution of international waterways.
8. Where the project involves specifically identified physical elements, aspects, and facilities that are likely to generate impacts, environmental and social risks and impacts will be identified in the context of the project’s area of influence. This area of influence encompasses, as appropriate:
 The area likely to be affected by: (i) the project13 and the client’s activities and facilities that are directly owned, operated or managed (including by contractors) and that are a component of the project;14 (ii) impacts from unplanned but predictable developments caused by the project that may occur later or at a different location; or (iii) indirect project impacts on biodiversity or on ecosystem services upon which Affected Communities’ livelihoods are dependent.
10 Defined as the exercise of professional skill, diligence, prudence, and foresight that would reasonably be expected from skilled and experienced professionals engaged in the same type of undertaking under the same or similar circumstances globally or regionally.
11 For greenfield developments or large expansions with specifically indentified physical elements, aspects, and facilities that are likely to generate potential significant environmental or social impacts, the client will conduct a comprehensive Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, including an examination of alternatives, where appropriate.
12 In limited high risk circumstances, it may be appropriate for the client to complement its environmental and social risks and impacts identification process with specific human rights due diligence as relevant to the particular business.
13 Examples include the project’s sites, the immediate airshed and watershed, or transport corridors.
14 Examples include power transmission corridors, pipelines, canals, tunnels, relocation and access roads, borrow and disposal areas, construction camps, and contaminated land (e.g., soil, groundwater, surface water, and sediments).
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 Associated facilities, which are facilities that are not funded as part of the project and that would not have been constructed or expanded if the project did not exist and without which the project would not be viable.15
 Cumulative impacts16 that result from the incremental impact, on areas or resources used or directly impacted by the project, from other existing, planned or reasonably defined developments at the time the risks and impacts identification process is conducted.
9. In the event of risks and impacts in the project’s area of influence resulting from a third party’s actions, the client will address those risks and impacts in a manner commensurate with the client’s control and influence over the third parties, and with due regard to conflict of interest.
10. Where the client can reasonably exercise control, the risks and impacts identification process will also consider those risks and impacts associated with primary supply chains, as defined in Performance Standard 2 (paragraphs 27–29) and Performance Standard 6 (paragraph 30).
11. Where the project involves specifically identified physical elements, aspects and facilities that are likely to generate environmental and social impacts, the identification of risks and impacts will take into account the findings and conclusions of related and applicable plans, studies, or assessments prepared by relevant government authorities or other parties that are directly related to the project and its area of influence.17 These include master economic development plans, country or regional plans, feasibility studies, alternatives analyses, and cumulative, regional, sectoral, or strategic environmental assessments where relevant. The risks and impacts identification will take account of the outcome of the engagement process with Affected Communities as appropriate.
12. Where the project involves specifically identified physical elements, aspects and facilities that are likely to generate impacts, and as part of the process of identifying risks and impacts, the client will identify individuals and groups that may be directly and differentially or disproportionately affected by the project because of their disadvantaged or vulnerable status.18 Where individuals or groups are identified as disadvantaged or vulnerable, the client will propose and implement differentiated measures so that adverse impacts do not fall disproportionately on them and they are not disadvantaged in sharing development benefits and opportunities.
Management Programs
13. Consistent with the client’s policy and the objectives and principles described therein, the client will establish management programs that, in sum, will describe mitigation and performance improvement measures and actions that address the identified environmental and social risks and impacts of the project.
15 Associated facilities may include railways, roads, captive power plants or transmission lines, pipelines, utilities, warehouses, and logistics terminals.
16 Cumulative impacts are limited to those impacts generally recognized as important on the basis of scientific concerns and/or concerns from Affected Communities. Examples of cumulative impacts include: incremental contribution of gaseous emissions to an airshed; reduction of water flows in a watershed due to multiple withdrawals; increases in sediment loads to a watershed; interference with migratory routes or wildlife movement; or more traffic congestion and accidents due to increases in vehicular traffic on community roadways.
17 The client can take these into account by focusing on the project’s incremental contribution to selected impacts generally recognized as important on the basis of scientific concern or concerns from the Affected Communities within the area addressed by these larger scope regional studies or cumulative assessments.
18 This disadvantaged or vulnerable status may stem from an individual’s or group’s race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status. The client should also consider factors such as gender, age, ethnicity, culture, literacy, sickness, physical or mental disability, poverty or economic disadvantage, and dependence on unique natural resources.
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Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks
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14. Depending on the nature and scale of the project, these programs may consist of some documented combination of operational procedures, practices, plans, and related supporting documents (including legal agreements) that are managed in a systematic way.19 The programs may apply broadly across the client’s organization, including contractors and primary suppliers over which the organization has control or influence, or to specific sites, facilities, or activities. The mitigation hierarchy to address identified risks and impacts will favor the avoidance of impacts over minimization, and, where residual impacts remain, compensation/offset, wherever technically20 and financially feasible.21
15. Where the identified risks and impacts cannot be avoided, the client will identify mitigation and performance measures and establish corresponding actions to ensure the project will operate in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and meet the requirements of Performance Standards 1 through 8. The level of detail and complexity of this collective management program and the priority of the identified measures and actions will be commensurate with the project’s risks and impacts, and will take account of the outcome of the engagement process with Affected Communities as appropriate.
16. The management programs will establish environmental and social Action Plans,22 which will define desired outcomes and actions to address the issues raised in the risks and impacts identification process, as measurable events to the extent possible, with elements such as performance indicators, targets, or acceptance criteria that can be tracked over defined time periods, and with estimates of the resources and responsibilities for implementation. As appropriate, the management program will recognize and incorporate the role of relevant actions and events controlled by third parties to address identified risks and impacts. Recognizing the dynamic nature of the project, the management program will be responsive to changes in circumstances, unforeseen events, and the results of monitoring and review.
Organizational Capacity and Competency
17. The client, in collaboration with appropriate and relevant third parties, will establish, maintain, and strengthen as necessary an organizational structure that defines roles, responsibilities, and authority to implement the ESMS. Specific personnel, including management representative(s), with clear lines of responsibility and authority should be designated. Key environmental and social responsibilities should be well defined and communicated to the relevant personnel and to the rest of the client’s organization. Sufficient management sponsorship and human and financial resources will be provided on an ongoing basis to achieve effective and continuous environmental and social performance.
19 Existing legal agreements between the client and third parties that address mitigation actions with regard to specific impacts constitute part of a program. Examples are government-managed resettlement responsibilities specified in an agreement.
20 Technical feasibility is based on whether the proposed measures and actions can be implemented with commercially available skills, equipment, and materials, taking into consideration prevailing local factors such as climate, geography, demography, infrastructure, security, governance, capacity, and operational reliability.
21 Financial feasibility is based on commercial considerations, including relative magnitude of the incremental cost of adopting such measures and actions compared to the project’s investment, operating, and maintenance costs, and on whether this incremental cost could make the project nonviable to the client.
22 Action plans may include an overall Environmental and Social Action Plan necessary for carrying out a suite of mitigation measures or thematic action plans, such as Resettlement Action Plans or Biodiversity Action Plans. Action plans may be plans designed to fill in the gaps of existing management programs to ensure consistency with the Performance Standards, or they may be stand alone plans that specify the project’s mitigation strategy. The “Action plan” terminology is understood by some communities of practice to mean Management plans, or Development plans. In this case, examples are numerous and include various types of environmental and social management plans.
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and Impacts
January 1, 2012
18. Personnel within the client’s organization with direct responsibility for the project’s environmental and social performance will have the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to perform their work, including current knowledge of the host country’s regulatory requirements and the applicable requirements of Performance Standards 1 through 8. Personnel will also possess the knowledge, skills, and experience to implement the specific measures and actions required under the ESMS and the methods required to perform the actions in a competent and efficient manner.
19. The process of identification of risks and impacts will consist of an adequate, accurate, and objective evaluation and presentation, prepared by competent professionals. For projects posing potentially significant adverse impacts or where technically complex issues are involved, clients may be required to involve external experts to assist in the risks and impacts identification process.
Emergency Preparedness and Response
20. Where the project involves specifically identified physical elements, aspects and facilities that are likely to generate impacts, the ESMS will establish and maintain an emergency preparedness and response system so that the client, in collaboration with appropriate and relevant third parties, will be prepared to respond to accidental and emergency situations associated with the project in a manner appropriate to prevent and mitigate any harm to people and/or the environment. This preparation will include the identification of areas where accidents and emergency situations may occur, communities and individuals that may be impacted, response procedures, provision of equipment and resources, designation of responsibilities, communication, including that with potentially Affected Communities and periodic training to ensure effective response. The emergency preparedness and response activities will be periodically reviewed and revised, as necessary, to reflect changing conditions.
21. Where applicable, the client will also assist and collaborate with the potentially Affected Communities (see Performance Standard 4) and the local government agencies in their preparations to respond effectively to emergency situations, especially when their participation and collaboration are necessary to ensure effective response. If local government agencies have little or no capacity to respond effectively, the client will play an active role in preparing for and responding to emergencies associated with the project. The client will document its emergency preparedness and response activities, resources, and responsibilities, and will provide appropriate information to potentially Affected Community and relevant government agencies.
Monitoring and Review
22. The client will establish procedures to monitor and measure the effectiveness of the management program, as well as compliance with any related legal and/or contractual obligations and regulatory requirements. Where the government or other third party has responsibility for managing specific risks and impacts and associated mitigation measures, the client will collaborate in establishing and monitoring such mitigation measures. Where appropriate, clients will consider involving representatives from Affected Communities to participate in monitoring activities.23 The client’s monitoring program should be overseen by the appropriate level in the organization. For projects with significant impacts, the client will retain external experts to verify its monitoring information. The extent of monitoring should be commensurate with the project’s environmental and social risks and impacts and with compliance requirements.
23. In addition to recording information to track performance and establishing relevant operational controls, the client should use dynamic mechanisms, such as internal inspections and audits, where relevant, to verify compliance and progress toward the desired outcomes. Monitoring will normally
23 For example, participatory water monitoring.
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January 1, 2012
include recording information to track performance and comparing this against the previously established benchmarks or requirements in the management program. Monitoring should be adjusted according to performance experience and actions requested by relevant regulatory authorities. The client will document monitoring results and identify and reflect the necessary corrective and preventive actions in the amended management program and plans. The client, in collaboration with appropriate and relevant third parties, will implement these corrective and preventive actions, and follow up on these actions in upcoming monitoring cycles to ensure their effectiveness.
24. Senior management in the client organization will receive periodic performance reviews of the effectiveness of the ESMS, based on systematic data collection and analysis. The scope and frequency of such reporting will depend upon the nature and scope of the activities identified and undertaken in accordance with the client’s ESMS and other applicable project requirements. Based on results within these performance reviews, senior management will take the necessary and appropriate steps to ensure the intent of the client’s policy is met, that procedures, practices, and plans are being implemented, and are seen to be effective.
Stakeholder Engagement
25. Stakeholder engagement is the basis for building strong, constructive, and responsive relationships that are essential for the successful management of a project's environmental and social impacts.24 Stakeholder engagement is an ongoing process that may involve, in varying degrees, the following elements: stakeholder analysis and planning, disclosure and dissemination of information, consultation and participation, grievance mechanism, and ongoing reporting to Affected Communities. The nature, frequency, and level of effort of stakeholder engagement may vary considerably and will be commensurate with the project’s risks and adverse impacts, and the project’s phase of development.
Stakeholder Analysis and Engagement Planning
26. Clients should identify the range of stakeholders that may be interested in their actions and consider how external communications might facilitate a dialog with all stakeholders (paragraph 34 below). Where projects involve specifically identified physical elements, aspects and/or facilities that are likely to generate adverse environmental and social impacts to Affected Communities the client will identify the Affected Communities and will meet the relevant requirements described below.
27. The client will develop and implement a Stakeholder Engagement Plan that is scaled to the project risks and impacts and development stage, and be tailored to the characteristics and interests of the Affected Communities. Where applicable, the Stakeholder Engagement Plan will include differentiated measures to allow the effective participation of those identified as disadvantaged or vulnerable. When the stakeholder engagement process depends substantially on community representatives,25 the client will make every reasonable effort to verify that such persons do in fact represent the views of Affected Communities and that they can be relied upon to faithfully communicate the results of consultations to their constituents.
28. In cases where the exact location of the project is not known, but it is reasonably expected to have significant impacts on local communities, the client will prepare a Stakeholder Engagement Framework, as part of its management program, outlining general principles and a strategy to identify Affected Communities and other relevant stakeholders and plan for an engagement process
24 Requirements regarding engagement of workers and related grievance redress procedures are found in Performance Standard 2.
25 For example, community and religious leaders, local government representatives, civil society representatives, politicians, school teachers, and/or others representing one or more affected stakeholder groups.
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compatible with this Performance Standard that will be implemented once the physical location of the project is known.
Disclosure of Information
29. Disclosure of relevant project information helps Affected Communities and other stakeholders understand the risks, impacts and opportunities of the project. The client will provide Affected Communities with access to relevant information26 on: (i) the purpose, nature, and scale of the project; (ii) the duration of proposed project activities; (iii) any risks to and potential impacts on such communities and relevant mitigation measures; (iv) the envisaged stakeholder engagement process; and (v) the grievance mechanism.
Consultation
30. When Affected Communities are subject to identified risks and adverse impacts from a project, the client will undertake a process of consultation in a manner that provides the Affected Communities with opportunities to express their views on project risks, impacts and mitigation measures, and allows the client to consider and respond to them. The extent and degree of engagement required by the consultation process should be commensurate with the project’s risks and adverse impacts and with the concerns raised by the Affected Communities. Effective consultation is a two-way process that should: (i) begin early in the process of identification of environmental and social risks and impacts and continue on an ongoing basis as risks and impacts arise; (ii) be based on the prior disclosure and dissemination of relevant, transparent, objective, meaningful and easily accessible information which is in a culturally appropriate local language(s) and format and is understandable to Affected Communities; (iii) focus inclusive27 engagement on those directly affected as opposed to those not directly affected; (iv) be free of external manipulation, interference, coercion, or intimidation; (v) enable meaningful participation, where applicable; and (vi) be documented. The client will tailor its consultation process to the language preferences of the Affected Communities, their decision-making process, and the needs of disadvantaged or vulnerable groups. If clients have already engaged in such a process, they will provide adequate documented evidence of such engagement.
Informed Consultation and Participation
31. For projects with potentially significant adverse impacts on Affected Communities, the client will conduct an Informed Consultation and Participation (ICP) process that will build upon the steps outlined above in Consultation and will result in the Affected Communities’ informed participation. ICP involves a more in-depth exchange of views and information, and an organized and iterative consultation, leading to the client’s incorporating into their decision-making process the views of the Affected Communities on matters that affect them directly, such as the proposed mitigation measures, the sharing of development benefits and opportunities, and implementation issues. The consultation process should (i) capture both men’s and women’s views, if necessary through separate forums or engagements, and (ii) reflect men’s and women’s different concerns and priorities about impacts, mitigation mechanisms, and benefits, where appropriate. The client will document the process, in particular the measures taken to avoid or minimize risks to and adverse impacts on the
26 Depending on the scale of the project and significance of the risks and impacts, relevant document(s) could range from full Environmental and Social Assessments and Action Plans (i.e., Stakeholder Engagement Plan, Resettlement Action Plans, Biodiversity Action Plans, Hazardous Materials Management Plans, Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans, Community Health and Safety Plans, Ecosystem Restoration Plans, and Indigenous Peoples Development Plans, etc.) to easy-to-understand summaries of key issues and commitments. These documents could also include the client’s environmental and social policy and any supplemental measures and actions defined as a result of independent due diligence conducted by financiers.
27 Such as men, women, the elderly, youth, displaced persons, and vulnerable and disadvantaged persons or groups.
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Affected Communities, and will inform those affected about how their concerns have been considered.
Indigenous Peoples
32. For projects with adverse impacts to Indigenous Peoples, the client is required to engage them in a process of ICP and in certain circumstances the client is required to obtain their Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC). The requirements related to Indigenous Peoples and the definition of the special circumstances requiring FPIC are described in Performance Standard 7.
Private Sector Responsibilities Under Government-Led Stakeholder Engagement
33. Where stakeholder engagement is the responsibility of the host government, the client will collaborate with the responsible government agency, to the extent permitted by the agency, to achieve outcomes that are consistent with the objectives of this Performance Standard. In addition, where government capacity is limited, the client will play an active role during the stakeholder engagement planning, implementation, and monitoring. If the process conducted by the government does not meet the relevant requirements of this Performance Standard, the client will conduct a complementary process and, where appropriate, identify supplemental actions.
External Communications and Grievance Mechanisms
External Communications
34. Clients will implement and maintain a procedure for external communications that includes methods to (i) receive and register external communications from the public; (ii) screen and assess the issues raised and determine how to address them; (iii) provide, track, and document responses, if any; and (iv) adjust the management program, as appropriate. In addition, clients are encouraged to make publicly available periodic reports on their environmental and social sustainability.
Grievance Mechanism for Affected Communities
35. Where there are Affected Communities, the client will establish a grievance mechanism to receive and facilitate resolution of Affected Communities’ concerns and grievances about the client’s environmental and social performance. The grievance mechanism should be scaled to the risks and adverse impacts of the project and have Affected Communities as its primary user. It should seek to resolve concerns promptly, using an understandable and transparent consultative process that is culturally appropriate and readily accessible, and at no cost and without retribution to the party that originated the issue or concern. The mechanism should not impede access to judicial or administrative remedies. The client will inform the Affected Communities about the mechanism in the course of the stakeholder engagement process.
Ongoing Reporting to Affected Communities
36. The client will provide periodic reports to the Affected Communities that describe progress with implementation of the project Action Plans on issues that involve ongoing risk to or impacts on Affected Communities and on issues that the consultation process or grievance mechanism have identified as a concern to those Communities. If the management program results in material changes in or additions to the mitigation measures or actions described in the Action Plans on issues of concern to the Affected Communities, the updated relevant mitigation measures or actions will be communicated to them. The frequency of these reports will be proportionate to the concerns of Affected Communities but not less than annually.
January 1, 2012
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Performance Standard 2
Labor and Working Conditions
Introduction
1. Performance Standard 2 recognizes that the pursuit of economic growth through employment creation and income generation should be accompanied by protection of the fundamental1 rights of workers. For any business, the workforce is a valuable asset, and a sound worker-management relationship is a key ingredient in the sustainability of a company. Failure to establish and foster a sound worker-management relationship can undermine worker commitment and retention, and can jeopardize a project. Conversely, through a constructive worker-management relationship, and by treating the workers fairly and providing them with safe and healthy working conditions, clients may create tangible benefits, such as enhancement of the efficiency and productivity of their operations.
2. The requirements set out in this Performance Standard have been in part guided by a number of international conventions and instruments, including those of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations (UN).2
Objectives
 To promote the fair treatment, non-discrimination, and equal opportunity of workers.
 To establish, maintain, and improve the worker-management relationship.
 To promote compliance with national employment and labor laws.
 To protect workers, including vulnerable categories of workers such as children, migrant workers, workers engaged by third parties, and workers in the client’s supply chain.
 To promote safe and healthy working conditions, and the health of workers.
 To avoid the use of forced labor.
Scope of Application
3. The applicability of this Performance Standard is established during the environmental and social risks and impacts identification process. The implementation of the actions necessary to meet the requirements of this Performance Standard is managed through the client’s Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS), the elements of which are outlined in Performance Standard 1.
4. The scope of application of this Performance Standard depends on the type of employment relationship between the client and the worker. It applies to workers directly engaged by the client (direct workers), workers engaged through third parties to perform work related to core business
1 As guided by the ILO Conventions listed in footnote 2.
2 These conventions are:
ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize
ILO Convention 98 on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining
ILO Convention 29 on Forced Labor
ILO Convention 105 on the Abolition of Forced Labor
ILO Convention 138 on Minimum Age (of Employment)
ILO Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labor
ILO Convention 100 on Equal Remuneration
ILO Convention 111 on Discrimination (Employment and Occupation)
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 32.1
UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families
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processes3 of the project for a substantial duration (contracted workers), as well as workers engaged
by the client’s primary suppliers (supply chain workers).4
Direct Workers
5. With respect to direct workers, the client will apply the requirements of paragraphs 8–23 of this
Performance Standard.
Contracted Workers
6. With respect to contracted workers, the client will apply the requirements of paragraphs 23–26 of
this Performance Standard.
Supply Chain Workers
7. With respect to supply chain workers, the client will apply the requirements of paragraphs 27–29
of this Performance Standard.
Requirements
Working Conditions and Management of Worker Relationship
Human Resources Policies and Procedures
8. The client will adopt and implement human resources policies and procedures appropriate to its
size and workforce that set out its approach to managing workers consistent with the requirements of
this Performance Standard and national law.
9. The client will provide workers with documented information that is clear and understandable,
regarding their rights under national labor and employment law and any applicable collective
agreements, including their rights related to hours of work, wages, overtime, compensation, and
benefits upon beginning the working relationship and when any material changes occur.
Working Conditions and Terms of Employment
10. Where the client is a party to a collective bargaining agreement with a workers’ organization,
such agreement will be respected. Where such agreements do not exist, or do not address working
conditions and terms of employment,5 the client will provide reasonable working conditions and terms
of employment.6
11. The client will identify migrant workers and ensure that they are engaged on substantially
equivalent terms and conditions to non-migrant workers carrying out similar work.
3 Core business processes constitute those production and/or service processes essential for a specific business
activity without which the business activity could not continue.
4 Primary suppliers are those suppliers who, on an ongoing basis, provide goods or materials essential for the
core business processes of the project.
5 Working conditions and terms of employment examples are wages and benefits; wage deductions; hours of
work; overtime arrangements and overtime compensation; breaks; rest days; and leave for illness, maternity,
vacation or holiday.
6 Reasonable working conditions and terms of employment could be assessed by reference to (i) conditions
established for work of the same character in the trade or industry concerned in the area/region where the work is
carried out; (ii) collective agreement or other recognized negotiation between other organizations of employers
and workers’ representatives in the trade or industry concerned; (iii) arbitration award; or (iv) conditions
established by national law.
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12. Where accommodation services7 are provided to workers covered by the scope of this Performance Standard, the client will put in place and implement policies on the quality and management of the accommodation and provision of basic services.8 The accommodation services will be provided in a manner consistent with the principles of non-discrimination and equal opportunity. Workers’ accommodation arrangements should not restrict workers’ freedom of movement or of association.
Workers’ Organizations
13. In countries where national law recognizes workers’ rights to form and to join workers’ organizations of their choosing without interference and to bargain collectively, the client will comply with national law. Where national law substantially restricts workers’ organizations, the client will not restrict workers from developing alternative mechanisms to express their grievances and protect their rights regarding working conditions and terms of employment. The client should not seek to influence or control these mechanisms
14. In either case described in paragraph 13 of this Performance Standard, and where national law is silent, the client will not discourage workers from electing worker representatives, forming or joining workers’ organizations of their choosing, or from bargaining collectively, and will not discriminate or retaliate against workers who participate, or seek to participate, in such organizations and collective bargaining. The client will engage with such workers’ representatives and workers’ organizations, and provide them with information needed for meaningful negotiation in a timely manner. Workers’ organizations are expected to fairly represent the workers in the workforce.
Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity
15. The client will not make employment decisions on the basis of personal characteristics9 unrelated to inherent job requirements. The client will base the employment relationship on the principle of equal opportunity and fair treatment, and will not discriminate with respect to any aspects of the employment relationship, such as recruitment and hiring, compensation (including wages and benefits), working conditions and terms of employment, access to training, job assignment, promotion, termination of employment or retirement, and disciplinary practices. The client will take measures to prevent and address harassment, intimidation, and/or exploitation, especially in regard to women. The principles of non-discrimination apply to migrant workers.
16. In countries where national law provides for non-discrimination in employment, the client will comply with national law. When national laws are silent on non-discrimination in employment, the client will meet this Performance Standard. In circumstances where national law is inconsistent with this Performance Standard, the client is encouraged to carry out its operations consistent with the intent of paragraph 15 above without contravening applicable laws.
17. Special measures of protection or assistance to remedy past discrimination or selection for a particular job based on the inherent requirements of the job will not be deemed as discrimination, provided they are consistent with national law.
7 Those services might be provided either directly by the client or by third parties.
8 Basic services requirements refer to minimum space, supply of water, adequate sewage and garbage disposal system, appropriate protection against heat, cold, damp, noise, fire and disease-carrying animals, adequate sanitary and washing facilities, ventilation, cooking and storage facilities and natural and artificial lighting, and in some cases basic medical services.
9 Such as gender, race, nationality, ethnic, social and indigenous origin, religion or belief, disability, age, or sexual orientation.
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Retrenchment
18. Prior to implementing any collective dismissals,10 the client will carry out an analysis of alternatives to retrenchment.11 If the analysis does not identify viable alternatives to retrenchment, a retrenchment plan will be developed and implemented to reduce the adverse impacts of retrenchment on workers. The retrenchment plan will be based on the principle of non-discrimination and will reflect the client’s consultation with workers, their organizations, and, where appropriate, the government, and comply with collective bargaining agreements if they exist. The client will comply with all legal and contractual requirements related to notification of public authorities, and provision of information to, and consultation with workers and their organizations.
19. The client should ensure that all workers receive notice of dismissal and severance payments mandated by law and collective agreements in a timely manner. All outstanding back pay and social security benefits and pension contributions and benefits will be paid (i) on or before termination of the working relationship to the workers, (ii) where appropriate, for the benefit of the workers, or (iii) payment will be made in accordance with a timeline agreed through a collective agreement. Where payments are made for the benefit of workers, workers will be provided with evidence of such payments.
Grievance Mechanism
20. The client will provide a grievance mechanism for workers (and their organizations, where they exist) to raise workplace concerns. The client will inform the workers of the grievance mechanism at the time of recruitment and make it easily accessible to them. The mechanism should involve an appropriate level of management and address concerns promptly, using an understandable and transparent process that provides timely feedback to those concerned, without any retribution. The mechanism should also allow for anonymous complaints to be raised and addressed. The mechanism should not impede access to other judicial or administrative remedies that might be available under the law or through existing arbitration procedures, or substitute for grievance mechanisms provided through collective agreements.
Protecting the Work Force
Child Labor
21. The client will not employ children in any manner that is economically exploitative, or is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education, or to be harmful to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral, or social development. The client will identify the presence of all persons under the age of 18. Where national laws have provisions for the employment of minors, the client will follow those laws applicable to the client. Children under the age of 18 will not be employed in hazardous work.12 All work of persons under the age of 18 will be subject to an appropriate risk assessment and regular monitoring of health, working conditions, and hours of work.
10 Collective dismissals cover all multiple dismissals that are a result of an economic, technical, or organizational reason; or other reasons that are not related to performance or other personal reasons.
11 Examples of alternatives may include negotiated working-time reduction programs, employee capacity-building programs; long-term maintenance works during low production periods, etc.
12 Examples of hazardous work activities include work (i) with exposure to physical, psychological, or sexual abuse; (ii) underground, underwater, working at heights, or in confined spaces; (iii) with dangerous machinery, equipment, or tools, or involving handling of heavy loads; (iv) in unhealthy environments exposing the worker to hazardous substances, agents, processes, temperatures, noise, or vibration damaging to health; or (v) under difficult conditions such as long hours, late night, or confinement by employer.
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Forced Labor
22. The client will not employ forced labor, which consists of any work or service not voluntarily performed that is exacted from an individual under threat of force or penalty. This covers any kind of involuntary or compulsory labor, such as indentured labor, bonded labor, or similar labor-contracting arrangements. The client will not employ trafficked persons.13
Occupational Health and Safety
23. The client will provide a safe and healthy work environment, taking into account inherent risks in its particular sector and specific classes of hazards in the client’s work areas, including physical, chemical, biological, and radiological hazards, and specific threats to women. The client will take steps to prevent accidents, injury, and disease arising from, associated with, or occurring in the course of work by minimizing, as far as reasonably practicable, the causes of hazards. In a manner consistent with good international industry practice,14 as reflected in various internationally recognized sources including the World Bank Group Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines, the client will address areas that include the (i) identification of potential hazards to workers, particularly those that may be life-threatening; (ii) provision of preventive and protective measures, including modification, substitution, or elimination of hazardous conditions or substances; (iii) training of workers; (iv) documentation and reporting of occupational accidents, diseases, and incidents; and (v) emergency prevention, preparedness, and response arrangements. For additional information related to emergency preparedness and response refer to Performance Standard 1.
Workers Engaged by Third Parties
24. With respect to contracted workers the client will take commercially reasonable efforts to ascertain that the third parties who engage these workers are reputable and legitimate enterprises and have an appropriate ESMS that will allow them to operate in a manner consistent with the requirements of this Performance Standard, except for paragraphs 18–19, and 27–29.
25. The client will establish policies and procedures for managing and monitoring the performance of such third party employers in relation to the requirements of this Performance Standard. In addition, the client will use commercially reasonable efforts to incorporate these requirements in contractual agreements with such third party employers.
26. The client will ensure that contracted workers, covered in paragraphs 24–25 of this Performance Standard, have access to a grievance mechanism. In cases where the third party is not able to provide a grievance mechanism the client will extend its own grievance mechanism to serve workers engaged by the third party.
13 Trafficking in persons is defined as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power, or of a position of vulnerability, or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Women and children are particularly vulnerable to trafficking practices.
14 Defined as the exercise of professional skill, diligence, prudence, and foresight that would reasonably be expected from skilled and experienced professionals engaged in the same type of undertaking under the same or similar circumstances, globally or regionally.
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Supply Chain
27. Where there is a high risk of child labor or forced labor15 in the primary supply chain, the client will identify those risks consistent with paragraphs 21 and 22 above. If child labor or forced labor cases are identified, the client will take appropriate steps to remedy them. The client will monitor its primary supply chain on an ongoing basis in order to identify any significant changes in its supply chain and if new risks or incidents of child and/or forced labor are identified, the client will take appropriate steps to remedy them.
28. Additionally, where there is a high risk of significant safety issues related to supply chain workers, the client will introduce procedures and mitigation measures to ensure that primary suppliers within the supply chain are taking steps to prevent or to correct life-threatening situations.
29. The ability of the client to fully address these risks will depend upon the client’s level of management control or influence over its primary suppliers. Where remedy is not possible, the client will shift the project’s primary supply chain over time to suppliers that can demonstrate that they are complying with this Performance Standard.
15 The potential risk of child labor and forced labor will be determined during the risks and impacts identification process as required in Performance Standard 1.
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Performance Standard 3
Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention
Introduction
1. Performance Standard 3 recognizes that increased economic activity and urbanization often generate increased levels of pollution to air, water, and land, and consume finite resources in a manner that may threaten people and the environment at the local, regional, and global levels.1 There is also a growing global consensus that the current and projected atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases (GHG) threatens the public health and welfare of current and future generations. At the same time, more efficient and effective resource use and pollution prevention2 and GHG emission avoidance and mitigation technologies and practices have become more accessible and achievable in virtually all parts of the world. These are often implemented through continuous improvement methodologies similar to those used to enhance quality or productivity, which are generally well known to most industrial, agricultural, and service sector companies.
2. This Performance Standard outlines a project-level approach to resource efficiency and pollution prevention and control in line with internationally disseminated technologies and practices. In addition, this Performance Standard promotes the ability of private sector companies to adopt such technologies and practices as far as their use is feasible in the context of a project that relies on commercially available skills and resources.
Objectives
 To avoid or minimize adverse impacts on human health and the environment by avoiding or minimizing pollution from project activities.
 To promote more sustainable use of resources, including energy and water.
 To reduce project-related GHG emissions.
Scope of Application
3. The applicability of this Performance Standard is established during the environmental and social risks and impacts identification process. The implementation of the actions necessary to meet the requirements of this Performance Standard is managed through the client’s Environmental and Social Management System, the elements of which are outlined in Performance Standard 1.
Requirements
4. During the project life-cycle, the client will consider ambient conditions and apply technically and financially feasible resource efficiency and pollution prevention principles and techniques that are best suited to avoid, or where avoidance is not possible, minimize adverse impacts on human health and the environment.3 The principles and techniques applied during the project life-cycle will be
1 For the purposes of this Performance Standard, the term “pollution” is used to refer to both hazardous and non-hazardous chemical pollutants in the solid, liquid, or gaseous phases, and includes other components such as pests, pathogens, thermal discharge to water, GHG emissions, nuisance odors, noise, vibration, radiation, electromagnetic energy, and the creation of potential visual impacts including light.
2 For the purpose of this Performance Standard, the term “pollution prevention” does not mean absolute elimination of emissions, but the avoidance at source whenever possible, and, if not possible, then subsequent minimization of pollution to the extent that the Performance Standard objectives are satisfied.
3 Technical feasibility is based on whether the proposed measures and actions can be implemented with commercially available skills, equipment, and materials, taking into consideration prevailing local factors such as climate, geography, infrastructure, security, governance, capacity and operational reliability. Financial feasibility is
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tailored to the hazards and risks associated with the nature of the project and consistent with good international industry practice (GIIP),4 as reflected in various internationally recognized sources, including the World Bank Group Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines (EHS Guidelines).
5. The client will refer to the EHS Guidelines or other internationally recognized sources, as appropriate, when evaluating and selecting resource efficiency and pollution prevention and control techniques for the project. The EHS Guidelines contain the performance levels and measures that are normally acceptable and applicable to projects. When host country regulations differ from the levels and measures presented in the EHS Guidelines, clients will be required to achieve whichever is more stringent. If less stringent levels or measures than those provided in the EHS Guidelines are appropriate in view of specific project circumstances, the client will provide full and detailed justification for any proposed alternatives through the environmental and social risks and impacts identification and assessment process. This justification must demonstrate that the choice for any alternate performance levels is consistent with the objectives of this Performance Standard.
Resource Efficiency
6. The client will implement technically and financially feasible and cost effective5 measures for improving efficiency in its consumption of energy, water, as well as other resources and material inputs, with a focus on areas that are considered core business activities. Such measures will integrate the principles of cleaner production into product design and production processes with the objective of conserving raw materials, energy, and water. Where benchmarking data are available, the client will make a comparison to establish the relative level of efficiency.
Greenhouse Gases
7. In addition to the resource efficiency measures described above, the client will consider alternatives and implement technically and financially feasible and cost-effective options to reduce project-related GHG emissions during the design and operation of the project. These options may include, but are not limited to, alternative project locations, adoption of renewable or low carbon energy sources, sustainable agricultural, forestry and livestock management practices, the reduction of fugitive emissions and the reduction of gas flaring.
8. For projects that are expected to or currently produce more than 25,000 tonnes of CO2-equivalent annually,6 the client will quantify direct emissions from the facilities owned or controlled within the physical project boundary,7 as well as indirect emissions associated with the off-site
based on commercial considerations, including relative magnitude of the incremental cost of adopting such measures and actions compared to the project’s investment, operating, and maintenance costs.
4 GIIP is defined as the exercise of professional skill, diligence, prudence, and foresight that would reasonably be expected from skilled and experienced professionals engaged in the same type of undertaking under the same or similar circumstances globally or regionally. The outcome of such exercise should be that the project employs the most appropriate technologies in the project-specific circumstances.
5 Cost-effectiveness is determined according to the capital and operational cost and financial benefits of the measure considered over the life of the measure. For the purpose of this Performance Standard, a resource efficiency or GHG emissions reduction measure is considered cost-effective if it is expected to provide a risk-rated return on investment at least comparable to the project itself.
6 The quantification of emissions should consider all significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions, including non-energy related sources such as methane and nitrous oxide, among others.
7 Project-induced changes in soil carbon content or above ground biomass, and project-induced decay of organic matter may contribute to direct emissions sources and shall be included in this emissions quantification where such emissions are expected to be significant.
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production of energy8 used by the project. Quantification of GHG emissions will be conducted by the
client annually in accordance with internationally recognized methodologies and good practice.9
Water Consumption
9. When the project is a potentially significant consumer of water, in addition to applying the
resource efficiency requirements of this Performance Standard, the client shall adopt measures that
avoid or reduce water usage so that the project’s water consumption does not have significant
adverse impacts on others. These measures include, but are not limited to, the use of additional
technically feasible water conservation measures within the client’s operations, the use of alternative
water supplies, water consumption offsets to reduce total demand for water resources to within the
available supply, and evaluation of alternative project locations.
Pollution Prevention
10. The client will avoid the release of pollutants or, when avoidance is not feasible, minimize and/or
control the intensity and mass flow of their release. This applies to the release of pollutants to air,
water, and land due to routine, non-routine, and accidental circumstances with the potential for local,
regional, and transboundary impacts.10 Where historical pollution such as land or ground water
contamination exists, the client will seek to determine whether it is responsible for mitigation
measures. If it is determined that the client is legally responsible, then these liabilities will be resolved
in accordance with national law, or where this is silent, with GIIP.11
11. To address potential adverse project impacts on existing ambient conditions,12 the client will
consider relevant factors, including, for example (i) existing ambient conditions; (ii) the finite
assimilative capacity13 of the environment; (iii) existing and future land use; (iv) the project’s proximity
to areas of importance to biodiversity; and (v) the potential for cumulative impacts with uncertain
and/or irreversible consequences. In addition to applying resource efficiency and pollution control
measures as required in this Performance Standard, when the project has the potential to constitute
a significant source of emissions in an already degraded area, the client will consider additional
strategies and adopt measures that avoid or reduce negative effects. These strategies include, but
are not limited to, evaluation of project location alternatives and emissions offsets.
Wastes
12. The client will avoid the generation of hazardous and non-hazardous waste materials. Where
waste generation cannot be avoided, the client will reduce the generation of waste, and recover and
reuse waste in a manner that is safe for human health and the environment. Where waste cannot be
recovered or reused, the client will treat, destroy, or dispose of it in an environmentally sound manner
that includes the appropriate control of emissions and residues resulting from the handling and
processing of the waste material. If the generated waste is considered hazardous,14 the client will
8 Refers to the off-site generation by others of electricity, and heating and cooling energy used in the project.
9 Estimation methodologies are provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, various
international organizations, and relevant host country agencies.
10 Transboundary pollutants include those covered under the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air
Pollution.
11 This may require coordination with national and local government, communities, and the contributors to the
contamination, and that any assessment follows a risk-based approach consistent with GIIP as reflected in the
EHS Guidelines.
12 Such as air, surface and groundwater, and soils.
13 The capacity of the environment for absorbing an incremental load of pollutants while remaining below a
threshold of unacceptable risk to human health and the environment.
14 As defined by international conventions or local legislation.
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adopt GIIP alternatives for its environmentally sound disposal while adhering to the limitations
applicable to its transboundary movement.15 When hazardous waste disposal is conducted by third
parties, the client will use contractors that are reputable and legitimate enterprises licensed by the
relevant government regulatory agencies and obtain chain of custody documentation to the final
destination. The client should ascertain whether licensed disposal sites are being operated to
acceptable standards and where they are, the client will use these sites. Where this is not the case,
clients should reduce waste sent to such sites and consider alternative disposal options, including
the possibility of developing their own recovery or disposal facilities at the project site.
Hazardous Materials Management
13. Hazardous materials are sometimes used as raw material or produced as product by the project.
The client will avoid or, when avoidance is not possible, minimize and control the release of
hazardous materials. In this context, the production, transportation, handling, storage, and use of
hazardous materials for project activities should be assessed. The client will consider less hazardous
substitutes where hazardous materials are intended to be used in manufacturing processes or other
operations. The client will avoid the manufacture, trade, and use of chemicals and hazardous
materials subject to international bans or phase-outs due to their high toxicity to living organisms,
environmental persistence, potential for bioaccumulation, or potential for depletion of the ozone
layer.16
Pesticide Use and Management
14. The client will, where appropriate, formulate and implement an integrated pest management
(IPM) and/or integrated vector management (IVM) approach targeting economically significant pest
infestations and disease vectors of public health significance. The client’s IPM and IVM program will
integrate coordinated use of pest and environmental information along with available pest control
methods, including cultural practices, biological, genetic, and, as a last resort, chemical means to
prevent economically significant pest damage and/or disease transmission to humans and animals.
15. When pest management activities include the use of chemical pesticides, the client will select
chemical pesticides that are low in human toxicity, that are known to be effective against the target
species, and that have minimal effects on non-target species and the environment. When the client
selects chemical pesticides, the selection will be based upon requirements that the pesticides be
packaged in safe containers, be clearly labeled for safe and proper use, and that the pesticides have
been manufactured by an entity currently licensed by relevant regulatory agencies.
16. The client will design its pesticide application regime to (i) avoid damage to natural enemies of
the target pest, and where avoidance is not possible, minimize, and (ii) avoid the risks associated
with the development of resistance in pests and vectors, and where avoidance is not possible
minimize. In addition, pesticides will be handled, stored, applied, and disposed of in accordance with
the Food and Agriculture Organization’s International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of
Pesticides or other GIIP.
17. The client will not purchase, store, use, manufacture, or trade in products that fall in WHO
Recommended Classification of Pesticides by Hazard Class Ia (extremely hazardous); or Ib (highly
15 Transboundary movement of hazardous materials should be consistent with national, regional and international
law, including the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their
Disposal and the London Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other
Matter.
16 Consistent with the objectives of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and the Montreal
Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Similar considerations will apply to certain World Health
Organization (WHO) classes of pesticides.
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hazardous). The client will not purchase, store, use, manufacture or trade in Class II (moderately hazardous) pesticides, unless the project has appropriate controls on manufacture, procurement, or distribution and/or use of these chemicals. These chemicals should not be accessible to personnel without proper training, equipment, and facilities to handle, store, apply, and dispose of these products properly.
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Performance Standard 4
Community Health, Safety, and Security
Introduction
1. Performance Standard 4 recognizes that project activities, equipment, and infrastructure can increase community exposure to risks and impacts. In addition, communities that are already subjected to impacts from climate change may also experience an acceleration and/or intensification of impacts due to project activities. While acknowledging the public authorities’ role in promoting the health, safety, and security of the public, this Performance Standard addresses the client’s responsibility to avoid or minimize the risks and impacts to community health, safety, and security that may arise from project related-activities, with particular attention to vulnerable groups.
2. In conflict and post-conflict areas, the level of risks and impacts described in this Performance Standard may be greater. The risks that a project could exacerbate an already sensitive local situation and stress scarce local resources should not be overlooked as it may lead to further conflict.
Objectives
 To anticipate and avoid adverse impacts on the health and safety of the Affected Community during the project life from both routine and non-routine circumstances.
 To ensure that the safeguarding of personnel and property is carried out in accordance with relevant human rights principles and in a manner that avoids or minimizes risks to the Affected Communities.
Scope of Application
3. The applicability of this Performance Standard is established during the environmental and social risks and impacts identification process. The implementation of the actions necessary to meet the requirements of this Performance Standard is managed through the client’s Environmental and Social Management System, the elements of which are outlined in Performance Standard 1.
4. This Performance Standard addresses potential risks and impacts to the Affected Communities from project activities. Occupational health and safety requirements for workers are included in Performance Standard 2, and environmental standards to avoid or minimize impacts on human health and the environment due to pollution are included in Performance Standard 3.
Requirements
Community Health and Safety
5. The client will evaluate the risks and impacts to the health and safety of the Affected Communities during the project life-cycle and will establish preventive and control measures consistent with good international industry practice (GIIP),1 such as in the World Bank Group Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines (EHS Guidelines) or other internationally recognized sources. The client will identify risks and impacts and propose mitigation measures that are commensurate with their nature and magnitude. These measures will favor the avoidance of risks and impacts over minimization.
1 Defined as the exercise of professional skill, diligence, prudence, and foresight that would reasonably be expected from skilled and experienced professionals engaged in the same type of undertaking under the same or similar circumstances globally or regionally.
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Community Health, Safety, and Security
Infrastructure and Equipment Design and Safety
6. The client will design, construct, operate, and decommission the structural elements or components of the project in accordance with GIIP, taking into consideration safety risks to third parties or Affected Communities. When new buildings and structures will be accessed by members of the public, the client will consider incremental risks of the public’s potential exposure to operational accidents and/or natural hazards and be consistent with the principles of universal access. Structural elements will be designed and constructed by competent professionals, and certified or approved by competent authorities or professionals. When structural elements or components, such as dams, tailings dams, or ash ponds are situated in high-risk locations, and their failure or malfunction may threaten the safety of communities, the client will engage one or more external experts with relevant and recognized experience in similar projects, separate from those responsible for the design and construction, to conduct a review as early as possible in project development and throughout the stages of project design, construction, operation, and decommissioning. For projects that operate moving equipment on public roads and other forms of infrastructure, the client will seek to avoid the occurrence of incidents and injuries to members of the public associated with the operation of such equipment.
Hazardous Materials Management and Safety
7. The client will avoid or minimize the potential for community exposure to hazardous materials and substances that may be released by the project. Where there is a potential for the public (including workers and their families) to be exposed to hazards, particularly those that may be life-threatening, the client will exercise special care to avoid or minimize their exposure by modifying, substituting, or eliminating the condition or material causing the potential hazards. Where hazardous materials are part of existing project infrastructure or components, the client will exercise special care when conducting decommissioning activities in order to avoid exposure to the community. The client will exercise commercially reasonable efforts to control the safety of deliveries of hazardous materials, and of transportation and disposal of hazardous wastes, and will implement measures to avoid or control community exposure to pesticides, in accordance with the requirements of Performance Standard 3.
Ecosystem Services
8. The project’s direct impacts on priority ecosystem services may result in adverse health and safety risks and impacts to Affected Communities. With respect to this Performance Standard, ecosystem services are limited to provisioning and regulating services as defined in paragraph 2 of Performance Standard 6. For example, land use changes or the loss of natural buffer areas such as wetlands, mangroves, and upland forests that mitigate the effects of natural hazards such as flooding, landslides, and fire, may result in increased vulnerability and community safety-related risks and impacts. The diminution or degradation of natural resources, such as adverse impacts on the quality, quantity, and availability of freshwater,2may result in health-related risks and impacts. Where appropriate and feasible, the client will identify those risks and potential impacts on priority ecosystem services that may be exacerbated by climate change. Adverse impacts should be avoided, and if these impacts are unavoidable, the client will implement mitigation measures in accordance with paragraphs 24 and 25 of Performance Standard 6. With respect to the use of and loss of access to provisioning services, clients will implement mitigation measures in accordance with paragraphs 25–29 of Performance Standard 5.
2 Freshwater is an example of provisioning ecosystem services.
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Performance Standard 4
Community Health, Safety, and Security
Community Exposure to Disease
9. The client will avoid or minimize the potential for community exposure to water-borne, water-based, water-related, and vector-borne diseases, and communicable diseases that could result from project activities, taking into consideration differentiated exposure to and higher sensitivity of vulnerable groups. Where specific diseases are endemic in communities in the project area of influence, the client is encouraged to explore opportunities during the project life-cycle to improve environmental conditions that could help minimize their incidence.
10. The client will avoid or minimize transmission of communicable diseases that may be associated with the influx of temporary or permanent project labor.
Emergency Preparedness and Response
11. In addition to the emergency preparedness and response requirements described in Performance Standard 1, the client will also assist and collaborate with the Affected Communities, local government agencies, and other relevant parties, in their preparations to respond effectively to emergency situations, especially when their participation and collaboration are necessary to respond to such emergency situations. If local government agencies have little or no capacity to respond effectively, the client will play an active role in preparing for and responding to emergencies associated with the project. The client will document its emergency preparedness and response activities, resources, and responsibilities, and will disclose appropriate information to Affected Communities, relevant government agencies, or other relevant parties.
Security Personnel
12. When the client retains direct or contracted workers to provide security to safeguard its personnel and property, it will assess risks posed by its security arrangements to those within and outside the project site. In making such arrangements, the client will be guided by the principles of proportionality and good international practice3 in relation to hiring, rules of conduct, training, equipping, and monitoring of such workers, and by applicable law. The client will make reasonable inquiries to ensure that those providing security are not implicated in past abuses; will train them adequately in the use of force (and where applicable, firearms), and appropriate conduct toward workers and Affected Communities; and require them to act within the applicable law. The client will not sanction any use of force except when used for preventive and defensive purposes in proportion to the nature and extent of the threat. The client will provide a grievance mechanism for Affected Communities to express concerns about the security arrangements and acts of security personnel.
13. The client will assess and document risks arising from the project’s use of government security personnel deployed to provide security services. The client will seek to ensure that security personnel will act in a manner consistent with paragraph 12 above, and encourage the relevant public authorities to disclose the security arrangements for the client’s facilities to the public, subject to overriding security concerns.
14. The client will consider and, where appropriate, investigate all allegations of unlawful or abusive acts of security personnel, take action (or urge appropriate parties to take action) to prevent recurrence, and report unlawful and abusive acts to public authorities.
3 Including practice consistent with the United Nation’s (UN) Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials, and UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials.
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Performance Standard 5
Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement
Introduction
1. Performance Standard 5 recognizes that project-related land acquisition and restrictions on land use can have adverse impacts on communities and persons that use this land. Involuntary resettlement refers both to physical displacement (relocation or loss of shelter) and to economic displacement (loss of assets or access to assets that leads to loss of income sources or other means of livelihood1) as a result of project-related land acquisition2 and/or restrictions on land use. Resettlement is considered involuntary when affected persons or communities do not have the right to refuse land acquisition or restrictions on land use that result in physical or economic displacement. This occurs in cases of (i) lawful expropriation or temporary or permanent restrictions on land use and (ii) negotiated settlements in which the buyer can resort to expropriation or impose legal restrictions on land use if negotiations with the seller fail.
2. Unless properly managed, involuntary resettlement may result in long-term hardship and impoverishment for the Affected Communities and persons, as well as environmental damage and adverse socio-economic impacts in areas to which they have been displaced. For these reasons, involuntary resettlement should be avoided. However, where involuntary resettlement is unavoidable, it should be minimized and appropriate measures to mitigate adverse impacts on displaced persons and host communities3 should be carefully planned and implemented. The government often plays a central role in the land acquisition and resettlement process, including the determination of compensation, and is therefore an important third party in many situations. Experience demonstrates that the direct involvement of the client in resettlement activities can result in more cost-effective, efficient, and timely implementation of those activities, as well as in the introduction of innovative approaches to improving the livelihoods of those affected by resettlement.
3. To help avoid expropriation and eliminate the need to use governmental authority to enforce relocation, clients are encouraged to use negotiated settlements meeting the requirements of this Performance Standard, even if they have the legal means to acquire land without the seller’s consent.
Objectives
 To avoid, and when avoidance is not possible, minimize displacement by exploring alternative project designs.
 To avoid forced eviction.
 To anticipate and avoid, or where avoidance is not possible, minimize adverse social and economic impacts from land acquisition or restrictions on land use by (i) providing compensation for loss of assets at replacement cost4 and (ii) ensuring
1 The term “livelihood” refers to the full range of means that individuals, families, and communities utilize to make a living, such as wage-based income, agriculture, fishing, foraging, other natural resource-based livelihoods, petty trade, and bartering.
2 Land acquisition includes both outright purchases of property and acquisition of access rights, such as easements or rights of way.
3 A host community is any community receiving displaced persons.
4 Replacement cost is defined as the market value of the assets plus transaction costs. In applying this method of valuation, depreciation of structures and assets should not be taken into account. Market value is defined as the value required to allow Affected Communities and persons to replace lost assets with assets of similar value. The valuation method for determining replacement cost should be documented and included in applicable Resettlement and/or Livelihood Restoration plans (see paragraphs 18 and 25).
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that resettlement activities are implemented with appropriate disclosure of information, consultation, and the informed participation of those affected.
 To improve, or restore, the livelihoods and standards of living of displaced persons.
 To improve living conditions among physically displaced persons through the provision of adequate housing with security of tenure5 at resettlement sites.
Scope of Application
4. The applicability of this Performance Standard is established during the environmental and social risks and impacts identification process. The implementation of the actions necessary to meet the requirements of this Performance Standard is managed through the client’s Environmental and Social Management System, the elements of which are outlined in Performance Standard 1.
5. This Performance Standard applies to physical and/or economic displacement resulting from the following types of land-related transactions:
 Land rights or land use rights acquired through expropriation or other compulsory procedures in accordance with the legal system of the host country;
 Land rights or land use rights acquired through negotiated settlements with property owners or those with legal rights to the land if failure to reach settlement would have resulted in expropriation or other compulsory procedures;6
 Project situations where involuntary restrictions on land use and access to natural resources cause a community or groups within a community to lose access to resource usage where they have traditional or recognizable usage rights;7
 Certain project situations requiring evictions of people occupying land without formal, traditional, or recognizable usage rights;8 or
 Restriction on access to land or use of other resources including communal property and natural resources such as marine and aquatic resources, timber and non-timber forest products, freshwater, medicinal plants, hunting and gathering grounds and grazing and cropping areas.9
6. This Performance Standard does not apply to resettlement resulting from voluntary land transactions (i.e., market transactions in which the seller is not obliged to sell and the buyer cannot resort to expropriation or other compulsory procedures sanctioned by the legal system of the host country if negotiations fail). It also does not apply to impacts on livelihoods where the project is not changing the land use of the affected groups or communities.10
5 Security of tenure means that resettled individuals or communities are resettled to a site that they can legally occupy and where they are protected from the risk of eviction.
6 This also applies to customary or traditional rights recognized or recognizable under the laws of the host country. The negotiations may be carried out by the government or by the company (in some circumstances, as an agent of the government).
7 In such situations, affected persons frequently do not have formal ownership. This may include freshwater and marine environments. This Performance Standard may also apply when project-related biodiversity areas or legally designated buffer zones are established but not acquired by the client.
8 While some people do not have rights over the land they occupy, this Performance Standard requires that non-land assets be retained, replaced, or compensated for; relocation take place with security of tenure; and lost livelihoods be restored.
9 Natural resource assets referred to in this Performance Standard are equivalent to ecosystem provisioning services as described in Performance Standard 6.
10 More generalized impacts on communities or groups of people are covered in Performance Standard 1. For example, disruption of access to mineral deposits by artisanal miners is covered by Performance Standard 1.
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7. Where project impacts on land, assets, or access to assets become significantly adverse at any stage of the project, the client should consider applying requirements of this Performance Standard, even where no land acquisition or land use restriction is involved.
Requirements
General
Project Design
8. The client will consider feasible alternative project designs to avoid or minimize physical and/or economic displacement, while balancing environmental, social, and financial costs and benefits, paying particular attention to impacts on the poor and vulnerable.
Compensation and Benefits for Displaced Persons
9. When displacement cannot be avoided, the client will offer displaced communities and persons compensation for loss of assets at full replacement cost and other assistance11 to help them improve or restore their standards of living or livelihoods, as provided in this Performance Standard. Compensation standards will be transparent and applied consistently to all communities and persons affected by the displacement. Where livelihoods of displaced persons are land-based,12 or where land is collectively owned, the client will, where feasible,13 offer the displaced land-based compensation. The client will take possession of acquired land and related assets only after compensation has been made available14 and, where applicable, resettlement sites and moving allowances have been provided to the displaced persons in addition to compensation.15 The client will also provide opportunities to displaced communities and persons to derive appropriate development benefits from the project.
Community Engagement
10. The client will engage with Affected Communities, including host communities, through the process of stakeholder engagement described in Performance Standard 1. Decision-making processes related to resettlement and livelihood restoration should include options and alternatives, where applicable. Disclosure of relevant information and participation of Affected Communities and persons will continue during the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of compensation payments, livelihood restoration activities, and resettlement to achieve outcomes that are consistent with the objectives of this Performance Standard.16 Additional provisions apply to consultations with Indigenous Peoples, in accordance with Performance Standard 7.
11 As described in paragraphs 19 and 26.
12 The term “land-based” includes livelihood activities such as subsistence cropping and grazing of livestock as well as the harvesting of natural resources.
13 Refer to paragraph 26 of this Performance Standard for further requirements.
14 In certain cases it may not be feasible to pay compensation to all those affected before taking possession of the land, for example when the ownership of the land in question is in dispute. Such circumstances shall be identified and agreed on a case-by-case basis, and compensation funds shall be made available for example through deposit into an escrow account before displacement takes place.
15 Unless government-managed resettlement is involved and where the client has no direct influence over the timing of compensation payments. Such cases should be handled in accordance with paragraphs 27–29 of this Performance Standard. Staggered compensation payments may be made where one-off cash payments would demonstrably undermine social and/or resettlement objectives, or where there are ongoing impacts to livelihood activities.
16 The consultation process should ensure that women’s perspectives are obtained and their interests factored into all aspects of resettlement planning and implementation. Addressing livelihood impacts may require intra-household analysis in cases where women’s and men’s livelihoods are affected differently. Women’s and men’s preferences in terms of compensation mechanisms, such as compensation in kind rather than in cash, should be explored.
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Grievance Mechanism
11. The client will establish a grievance mechanism consistent with Performance Standard 1 as early as possible in the project development phase. This will allow the client to receive and address specific concerns about compensation and relocation raised by displaced persons or members of host communities in a timely fashion, including a recourse mechanism designed to resolve disputes in an impartial manner.
Resettlement and Livelihood Restoration Planning and Implementation
12. Where involuntary resettlement is unavoidable, either as a result of a negotiated settlement or expropriation, a census will be carried out to collect appropriate socio-economic baseline data to identify the persons who will be displaced by the project, determine who will be eligible for compensation and assistance,17 and discourage ineligible persons, such as opportunistic settlers, from claiming benefits. In the absence of host government procedures, the client will establish a cut-off date for eligibility. Information regarding the cut-off date will be well documented and disseminated throughout the project area.
13. In cases where affected persons reject compensation offers that meet the requirements of this Performance Standard and, as a result, expropriation or other legal procedures are initiated, the client will explore opportunities to collaborate with the responsible government agency, and, if permitted by the agency, play an active role in resettlement planning, implementation, and monitoring (see paragraphs 30–32).
14. The client will establish procedures to monitor and evaluate the implementation of a Resettlement Action Plan or Livelihood Restoration Plan (see paragraphs 19 and 25) and take corrective action as necessary. The extent of monitoring activities will be commensurate with the project’s risks and impacts. For projects with significant involuntary resettlement risks, the client will retain competent resettlement professionals to provide advice on compliance with this Performance Standard and to verify the client’s monitoring information. Affected persons will be consulted during the monitoring process.
15. Implementation of a Resettlement Action Plan or Livelihood Restoration Plan will be considered completed when the adverse impacts of resettlement have been addressed in a manner that is consistent with the relevant plan as well as the objectives of this Performance Standard. It may be necessary for the client to commission an external completion audit of the Resettlement Action Plan or Livelihood Restoration Plan to assess whether the provisions have been met, depending on the scale and/or complexity of physical and economic displacement associated with a project. The completion audit should be undertaken once all mitigation measures have been substantially completed and once displaced persons are deemed to have been provided adequate opportunity and assistance to sustainably restore their livelihoods. The completion audit will be undertaken by competent resettlement professionals once the agreed monitoring period is concluded. The completion audit will include, at a minimum, a review of the totality of mitigation measures implemented by the Client, a comparison of implementation outcomes against agreed objectives, and a conclusion as to whether the monitoring process can be ended.18
17 Documentation of ownership or occupancy and compensation arrangements should be issued in the names of both spouses or heads of households, and other resettlement assistance, such as skills training, access to credit, and job opportunities, should be equally available to women and adapted to their needs. Where national law and tenure systems do not recognize the rights of women to hold or contract in property, measures should be considered to provide women as much protection as possible with the objective to achieve equity with men.
18 The completion audit of the Resettlement Action Plan and/or Livelihood Restoration Plan, will be undertaken by external resettlement experts once the agreed monitoring period is concluded, and will involve a more in-depth assessment than regular resettlement monitoring activities, including at a minimum a review of all mitigation
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16. Where the exact nature or magnitude of the land acquisition or restrictions on land use related to a project with potential to cause physical and/or economic displacement is unknown due to the stage of project development, the client will develop a Resettlement and/or Livelihood Restoration Framework outlining general principles compatible with this Performance Standard. Once the individual project components are defined and the necessary information becomes available, such a framework will be expanded into a specific Resettlement Action Plan or Livelihood Restoration Plan and procedures in accordance with paragraphs 19 and 25 below.
Displacement
17. Displaced persons may be classified as persons (i) who have formal legal rights to the land or assets they occupy or use; (ii) who do not have formal legal rights to land or assets, but have a claim to land that is recognized or recognizable under national law;19 or (iii) who have no recognizable legal right or claim to the land or assets they occupy or use. The census will establish the status of the displaced persons.
18. Project-related land acquisition and/or restrictions on land use may result in the physical displacement of people as well as their economic displacement. Consequently, requirements of this Performance Standard in respect of physical displacement and economic displacement may apply simultaneously.20
Physical Displacement
19. In the case of physical displacement, the client will develop a Resettlement Action Plan that covers, at a minimum, the applicable requirements of this Performance Standard regardless of the number of people affected. This will include compensation at full replacement cost for land and other assets lost. The Plan will be designed to mitigate the negative impacts of displacement; identify development opportunities; develop a resettlement budget and schedule; and establish the entitlements of all categories of affected persons (including host communities). Particular attention will be paid to the needs of the poor and the vulnerable. The client will document all transactions to acquire land rights, as well as compensation measures and relocation activities.
20. If people living in the project area are required to move to another location, the client will (i) offer displaced persons choices among feasible resettlement options, including adequate replacement housing or cash compensation where appropriate; and (ii) provide relocation assistance suited to the needs of each group of displaced persons. New resettlement sites built for displaced persons must offer improved living conditions. The displaced persons’ preferences with respect to relocating in preexisting communities and groups will be taken into consideration. Existing social and cultural institutions of the displaced persons and any host communities will be respected.
21. In the case of physically displaced persons under paragraph 17 (i) or (ii), the client will offer the choice of replacement property of equal or higher value, security of tenure, equivalent or better characteristics, and advantages of location or cash compensation where appropriate. Compensation
measures with respect to the physical and/or economic displacement implemented by the Client, a comparison of implementation outcomes against agreed objectives, a conclusion as to whether the monitoring process can be ended and, where necessary, a Corrective Action Plan listing outstanding actions necessary to met the objectives.
19 Such claims could be derived from adverse possession or from customary or traditional tenure arrangements.
20 Where a project results in both physical and economic displacement, the requirements of paragraphs 25 and 26 (Economic Displacement) should be incorporated into the Resettlement Action Plan or Framework (i.e., there is no need to have a separate Resettlement Action Plan and Livelihood Restoration Plan).
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in kind should be considered in lieu of cash. Cash compensation levels should be sufficient to
replace the lost land and other assets at full replacement cost in local markets.21
22. In the case of physically displaced persons under paragraph 17 (iii), the client will offer them a
choice of options for adequate housing with security of tenure so that they can resettle legally without
having to face the risk of forced eviction. Where these displaced persons own and occupy structures,
the client will compensate them for the loss of assets other than land, such as dwellings and other
improvements to the land, at full replacement cost, provided that these persons have been occupying
the project area prior to the cut-off date for eligibility. Based on consultation with such displaced
persons, the client will provide relocation assistance sufficient for them to restore their standard of
living at an adequate alternative site.22
23. The client is not required to compensate or assist those who encroach on the project area after
the cut-off date for eligibility, provided the cut-off date has been clearly established and made public.
24. Forced evictions23 will not be carried out except in accordance with law and the requirements of
this Performance Standard.
Economic Displacement
25. In the case of projects involving economic displacement only, the client will develop a Livelihood
Restoration Plan to compensate affected persons and/or communities and offer other assistance that
meet the objectives of this Performance Standard. The Livelihood Restoration Plan will establish the
entitlements of affected persons and/or communities and will ensure that these are provided in a
transparent, consistent, and equitable manner. The mitigation of economic displacement will be
considered complete when affected persons or communities have received compensation and other
assistance according to the requirements of the Livelihood Restoration Plan and this Performance
Standard, and are deemed to have been provided with adequate opportunity to reestablish their
livelihoods.
26. If land acquisition or restrictions on land use result in economic displacement defined as loss of
assets and/or means of livelihood, regardless of whether or not the affected people are physically
displaced, the client will meet the requirements in paragraphs 27–29 below, as applicable.
27. Economically displaced persons who face loss of assets or access to assets will be
compensated for such loss at full replacement cost.
 In cases where land acquisition or restrictions on land use affect commercial
structures, affected business owners will be compensated for the cost of
reestablishing commercial activities elsewhere, for lost net income during the
21 Payment of cash compensation for lost assets may be appropriate where (i) livelihoods are not land-based;
(ii) livelihoods are land-based but the land taken for the project is a small fraction of the affected asset and the
residual land is economically viable; or (iii) active markets for land, housing, and labor exist, displaced persons
use such markets, and there is sufficient supply of land and housing.
22 Relocation of informal settlers in urban areas may involve trade-offs. For example, the relocated families may
gain security of tenure, but they may lose advantages of location. Changes in location that may affect livelihood
opportunities should be addressed in accordance with the principles of this Performance Standard (see in
particular paragraph 25).
23 The permanent or temporary removal against the will of individuals, families, and/or communities from the
homes and/or lands which they occupy without the provision of, and access to, appropriate forms of legal and
other protection.
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period of transition, and for the costs of the transfer and reinstallation of the plant, machinery, or other equipment.
 In cases affecting persons with legal rights or claims to land which are recognized or recognizable under national law (see paragraph 17 (i) and (ii)), replacement property (e.g., agricultural or commercial sites) of equal or greater value will be provided, or, where appropriate, cash compensation at full replacement cost.
 Economically displaced persons who are without legally recognizable claims to land (see paragraph 17 (iii)) will be compensated for lost assets other than land (such as crops, irrigation infrastructure and other improvements made to the land), at full replacement cost. The client is not required to compensate or assist opportunistic settlers who encroach on the project area after the cut-off date for eligibility.
28. In addition to compensation for lost assets, if any, as required under paragraph 27, economically displaced persons whose livelihoods or income levels are adversely affected will also be provided opportunities to improve, or at least restore, their means of income-earning capacity, production levels, and standards of living:
 For persons whose livelihoods are land-based, replacement land that has a combination of productive potential, locational advantages, and other factors at least equivalent to that being lost should be offered as a matter of priority.
 For persons whose livelihoods are natural resource-based and where project-related restrictions on access envisaged in paragraph 5 apply, implementation of measures will be made to either allow continued access to affected resources or provide access to alternative resources with equivalent livelihood-earning potential and accessibility. Where appropriate, benefits and compensation associated with natural resource usage may be collective in nature rather than directly oriented towards individuals or households.
 If circumstances prevent the client from providing land or similar resources as described above, alternative income earning opportunities may be provided, such as credit facilities, training, cash, or employment opportunities. Cash compensation alone, however, is frequently insufficient to restore livelihoods.
29. Transitional support should be provided as necessary to all economically displaced persons, based on a reasonable estimate of the time required to restore their income-earning capacity, production levels, and standards of living.
Private Sector Responsibilities Under Government-Managed Resettlement
30. Where land acquisition and resettlement are the responsibility of the government, the client will collaborate with the responsible government agency, to the extent permitted by the agency, to achieve outcomes that are consistent with this Performance Standard. In addition, where government capacity is limited, the client will play an active role during resettlement planning, implementation, and monitoring, as described below.
31. In the case of acquisition of land rights or access to land through compulsory means or negotiated settlements involving physical displacement, the client will identify and describe24 government resettlement measures. If these measures do not meet the relevant requirements of this Performance Standard, the client will prepare a Supplemental Resettlement Plan that, together with
24 Government documents, where available, may be used to identify such measures.
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the documents prepared by the responsible government agency, will address the relevant requirements of this Performance Standard (the General Requirements and requirements for Physical Displacement and Economic Displacement above). The client will need to include in its Supplemental Resettlement Plan, at a minimum (i) identification of affected people and impacts; (ii) a description of regulated activities, including the entitlements of displaced persons provided under applicable national laws and regulations; (iii) the supplemental measures to achieve the requirements of this Performance Standard as described in paragraphs 19–29 in a way that is permitted by the responsible agency and implementation time schedule; and (iv) the financial and implementation responsibilities of the client in the execution of its Supplemental Resettlement Plan.
32. In the case of projects involving economic displacement only, the client will identify and describe the measures that the responsible government agency plans to use to compensate Affected Communities and persons. If these measures do not meet the relevant requirements of this Performance Standard, the client will develop an Environmental and Social Action Plan to complement government action. This may include additional compensation for lost assets, and additional efforts to restore lost livelihoods where applicable.
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Performance Standard 6
Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of
Living Natural Resources
Introduction
1. Performance Standard 6 recognizes that protecting and conserving biodiversity, maintaining ecosystem services, and sustainably managing living natural resources are fundamental to sustainable development. The requirements set out in this Performance Standard have been guided by the Convention on Biological Diversity, which defines biodiversity as “the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part; this includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems.”
2. Ecosystem services are the benefits that people, including businesses, derive from ecosystems. Ecosystem services are organized into four types: (i) provisioning services, which are the products people obtain from ecosystems; (ii) regulating services, which are the benefits people obtain from the regulation of ecosystem processes; (iii) cultural services, which are the nonmaterial benefits people obtain from ecosystems; and (iv) supporting services, which are the natural processes that maintain the other services.1
3. Ecosystem services valued by humans are often underpinned by biodiversity. Impacts on biodiversity can therefore often adversely affect the delivery of ecosystem services. This Performance Standard addresses how clients can sustainably manage and mitigate impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services throughout the project’s lifecycle.
Objectives
 To protect and conserve biodiversity.
 To maintain the benefits from ecosystem services.
 To promote the sustainable management of living natural resources through the adoption of practices that integrate conservation needs and development priorities.
Scope of Application
4. The applicability of this Performance Standard is established during the environmental and social risks and impacts identification process. The implementation of the actions necessary to meet the requirements of this Performance Standard is managed through the client’s Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS), the elements of which are outlined in Performance Standard 1.
5. Based on the risks and impacts identification process, the requirements of this Performance Standard are applied to projects (i) located in modified, natural, and critical habitats; (ii) that potentially impact on or are dependent on ecosystem services over which the client has direct management control or significant influence; or (iii) that include the production of living natural resources (e.g., agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, forestry).
1 Examples are as follows: (i) provisioning services may include food, freshwater, timber, fibers, medicinal plants; (ii) regulating services may include surface water purification, carbon storage and sequestration, climate regulation, protection from natural hazards; (iii) cultural services may include natural areas that are sacred sites and areas of importance for recreation and aesthetic enjoyment; and (iv) supporting services may include soil formation, nutrient cycling, primary production.
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Living Natural Resources
Requirements
General
6. The risks and impacts identification process as set out in Performance Standard 1 should consider direct and indirect project-related impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services and identify any significant residual impacts. This process will consider relevant threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services, especially focusing on habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, invasive alien species, overexploitation, hydrological changes, nutrient loading, and pollution. It will also take into account the differing values attached to biodiversity and ecosystem services by Affected Communities and, where appropriate, other stakeholders. Where paragraphs 13–19 are applicable, the client should consider project-related impacts across the potentially affected landscape or seascape.
7. As a matter of priority, the client should seek to avoid impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services. When avoidance of impacts is not possible, measures to minimize impacts and restore biodiversity and ecosystem services should be implemented. Given the complexity in predicting project impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services over the long term, the client should adopt a practice of adaptive management in which the implementation of mitigation and management measures are responsive to changing conditions and the results of monitoring throughout the project’s lifecycle.
8. Where paragraphs 13–15 are applicable, the client will retain competent professionals to assist in conducting the risks and impacts identification process. Where paragraphs 16–19 are applicable, the client should retain external experts with appropriate regional experience to assist in the development of a mitigation hierarchy that complies with this Performance Standard and to verify the implementation of those measures.
Protection and Conservation of Biodiversity
9. Habitat is defined as a terrestrial, freshwater, or marine geographical unit or airway that supports assemblages of living organisms and their interactions with the non-living environment. For the purposes of implementation of this Performance Standard, habitats are divided into modified, natural, and critical. Critical habitats are a subset of modified or natural habitats.
10. For the protection and conservation of biodiversity, the mitigation hierarchy includes biodiversity offsets, which may be considered only after appropriate avoidance, minimization, and restoration measures have been applied.2 A biodiversity offset should be designed and implemented to achieve measurable conservation outcomes3 that can reasonably be expected to result in no net loss and preferably a net gain of biodiversity; however, a net gain is required in critical habitats. The design of a biodiversity offset must adhere to the “like-for-like or better” principle4 and must be carried out in
2 Biodiversity offsets are measurable conservation outcomes resulting from actions designed to compensate for significant residual adverse biodiversity impacts arising from project development and persisting after appropriate avoidance, minimization and restoration measures have been taken.
3 Measurable conservation outcomes for biodiversity must be demonstrated in situ (on-the-ground) and on an appropriate geographic scale (e.g., local, landscape-level, national, regional).
4 The principle of “like-for-like or better” indicates that biodiversity offsets must be designed to conserve the same biodiversity values that are being impacted by the project (an “in-kind” offset). In certain situations, however, areas of biodiversity to be impacted by the project may be neither a national nor a local priority, and there may be other areas of biodiversity with like values that are a higher priority for conservation and sustainable use and under imminent threat or need of protection or effective management. In these situations, it may be appropriate to consider an “out-of-kind” offset that involves “trading up” (i.e., where the offset targets biodiversity of higher
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alignment with best available information and current practices. When a client is considering the development of an offset as part of the mitigation strategy, external experts with knowledge in offset design and implementation must be involved.
Modified Habitat
11. Modified habitats are areas that may contain a large proportion of plant and/or animal species of non-native origin, and/or where human activity has substantially modified an area’s primary ecological functions and species composition.5 Modified habitats may include areas managed for agriculture, forest plantations, reclaimed6 coastal zones, and reclaimed wetlands.
12. This Performance Standard applies to those areas of modified habitat that include significant biodiversity value, as determined by the risks and impacts identification process required in Performance Standard 1. The client should minimize impacts on such biodiversity and implement mitigation measures as appropriate.
Natural Habitat
13. Natural habitats are areas composed of viable assemblages of plant and/or animal species of largely native origin, and/or where human activity has not essentially modified an area’s primary ecological functions and species composition.
14. The client will not significantly convert or degrade7 natural habitats, unless all of the following are demonstrated:
 No other viable alternatives within the region exist for development of the project on modified habitat;
 Consultation has established the views of stakeholders, including Affected Communities, with respect to the extent of conversion and degradation;8 and
 Any conversion or degradation is mitigated according to the mitigation hierarchy.
15. In areas of natural habitat, mitigation measures will be designed to achieve no net loss9 of biodiversity where feasible. Appropriate actions include:
 Avoiding impacts on biodiversity through the identification and protection of set-asides;10
priority than that affected by the project) that will, for critical habitats, meet the requirements of paragraph 17 of this Performance Standard.
5 This excludes habitat that has been converted in anticipation of the project.
6 Reclamation as used in this context is the process of creating new land from sea or other aquatic areas for productive use.
7 Significant conversion or degradation is (i) the elimination or severe diminution of the integrity of a habitat caused by a major and/or long-term change in land or water use; or (ii) a modification that substantially minimizes the habitat’s ability to maintain viable populations of its native species.
8 Conducted as part of the stakeholder engagement and consultation process, as described in Performance Standard 1.
9 No net loss is defined as the point at which project-related impacts on biodiversity are balanced by measures taken to avoid and minimize the project’s impacts, to undertake on-site restoration and finally to offset significant residual impacts, if any, on an appropriate geographic scale (e.g., local, landscape-level, national, regional).
10 Set-asides are land areas within the project site, or areas over which the client has management control, that are excluded from development and are targeted for the implementation of conservation enhancement measures. Set-asides will likely contain significant biodiversity values and/or provide ecosystem services of significance at the local, national and/or regional level. Set-asides should be defined using internationally recognized approaches or methodologies (e.g., High Conservation Value, systematic conservation planning).
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Performance Standard 6
Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of
Living Natural Resources
 Implementing measures to minimize habitat fragmentation, such as biological corridors;
 Restoring habitats during operations and/or after operations; and
 Implementing biodiversity offsets.
Critical Habitat
16. Critical habitats are areas with high biodiversity value, including (i) habitat of significant importance to Critically Endangered and/or Endangered11 species; (ii) habitat of significant importance to endemic and/or restricted-range species; (iii) habitat supporting globally significant concentrations of migratory species and/or congregatory species; (iv) highly threatened and/or unique ecosystems; and/or (v) areas associated with key evolutionary processes.
17. In areas of critical habitat, the client will not implement any project activities unless all of the following are demonstrated:
 No other viable alternatives within the region exist for development of the project on modified or natural habitats that are not critical;
 The project does not lead to measurable adverse impacts on those biodiversity values for which the critical habitat was designated, and on the ecological processes supporting those biodiversity values;12
 The project does not lead to a net reduction in the global and/or national/regional population13 of any Critically Endangered or Endangered species over a reasonable period of time;14 and
 A robust, appropriately designed, and long-term biodiversity monitoring and evaluation program is integrated into the client’s management program.
18. In such cases where a client is able to meet the requirements defined in paragraph 17, the project’s mitigation strategy will be described in a Biodiversity Action Plan and will be designed to achieve net gains15 of those biodiversity values for which the critical habitat was designated.
11 As listed on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. The determination of critical habitat based on other listings is as follows: (i) If the species is listed nationally / regionally as critically endangered or endangered, in countries that have adhered to IUCN guidance, the critical habitat determination will be made on a project by project basis in consultation with competent professionals; and (ii) in instances where nationally or regionally listed species’ categorizations do not correspond well to those of the IUCN (e.g., some countries more generally list species as “protected” or “restricted”), an assessment will be conducted to determine the rationale and purpose of the listing. In this case, the critical habitat determination will be based on such an assessment.
12 Biodiversity values and their supporting ecological processes will be determined on an ecologically relevant scale.
13 Net reduction is a singular or cumulative loss of individuals that impacts on the species’ ability to persist at the global and/or regional/national scales for many generations or over a long period of time. The scale (i.e., global and/or regional/national) of the potential net reduction is determined based on the species’ listing on either the (global) IUCN Red List and/or on regional/national lists. For species listed on both the (global) IUCN Red List and the national/regional lists, the net reduction will be based on the national/regional population.
14 The timeframe in which clients must demonstrate “no net reduction” of Critically Endangered and Endangered species will be determined on a case-by-case basis in consultation with external experts.
15 Net gains are additional conservation outcomes that can be achieved for the biodiversity values for which the critical habitat was designated. Net gains may be achieved through the development of a biodiversity offset and/or, in instances where the client could meet the requirements of paragraph 17 of this Performance Standard without a biodiversity offset, the client should achieve net gains through the implementation of programs that could be implemented in situ (on-the-ground) to enhance habitat, and protect and conserve biodiversity.
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Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of
Living Natural Resources
19. In instances where biodiversity offsets are proposed as part of the mitigation strategy, the client must demonstrate through an assessment that the project’s significant residual impacts on biodiversity will be adequately mitigated to meet the requirements of paragraph 17.
Legally Protected and Internationally Recognized Areas
20. In circumstances where a proposed project is located within a legally protected area16 or an internationally recognized area,17 the client will meet the requirements of paragraphs 13 through 19 of this Performance Standard, as applicable. In addition, the client will:
 Demonstrate that the proposed development in such areas is legally permitted;
 Act in a manner consistent with any government recognized management plans for such areas;
 Consult protected area sponsors and managers, Affected Communities, Indigenous Peoples and other stakeholders on the proposed project, as appropriate; and
 Implement additional programs, as appropriate, to promote and enhance the conservation aims and effective management of the area.18
Invasive Alien Species
21. Intentional or accidental introduction of alien, or non-native, species of flora and fauna into areas where they are not normally found can be a significant threat to biodiversity, since some alien species can become invasive, spreading rapidly and out-competing native species.
22. The client will not intentionally introduce any new alien species (not currently established in the country or region of the project) unless this is carried out in accordance with the existing regulatory framework for such introduction. Notwithstanding the above, the client will not deliberately introduce any alien species with a high risk of invasive behavior regardless of whether such introductions are permitted under the existing regulatory framework. All introductions of alien species will be subject to a risk assessment (as part of the client’s environmental and social risks and impacts identification process) to determine the potential for invasive behavior. The client will implement measures to avoid the potential for accidental or unintended introductions including the transportation of substrates and vectors (such as soil, ballast, and plant materials) that may harbor alien species.
23. Where alien species are already established in the country or region of the proposed project, the client will exercise diligence in not spreading them into areas in which they have not already been established. As practicable, the client should take measures to eradicate such species from the natural habitats over which they have management control.
Management of Ecosystem Services
24. Where a project is likely to adversely impact ecosystem services, as determined by the risks and impacts identification process, the client will conduct a systematic review to identify priority
16 This Performance Standard recognizes legally protected areas that meet the IUCN definition: “A clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.” For the purposes of this Performance Standard, this includes areas proposed by governments for such designation.
17 Exclusively defined as UNESCO Natural World Heritage Sites, UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserves, Key Biodiversity Areas, and wetlands designated under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (the Ramsar Convention).
18 Implementing additional programs may not be necessary for projects that do not create a new footprint.
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Performance Standard 6
Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of
Living Natural Resources
ecosystem services. Priority ecosystem services are two-fold: (i) those services on which project operations are most likely to have an impact and, therefore, which result in adverse impacts to Affected Communities; and/or (ii) those services on which the project is directly dependent for its operations (e.g., water). When Affected Communities are likely to be impacted, they should participate in the determination of priority ecosystem services in accordance with the stakeholder engagement process as defined in Performance Standard 1.
25. With respect to impacts on priority ecosystem services of relevance to Affected Communities and where the client has direct management control or significant influence over such ecosystem services, adverse impacts should be avoided. If these impacts are unavoidable, the client will minimize them and implement mitigation measures that aim to maintain the value and functionality of priority services. With respect to impacts on priority ecosystem services on which the project depends, clients should minimize impacts on ecosystem services and implement measures that increase resource efficiency of their operations, as described in Performance Standard 3. Additional provisions for ecosystem services are included in Performance Standards 4, 5, 7, and 8.19
Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources
26. Clients who are engaged in the primary production of living natural resources, including natural and plantation forestry, agriculture, animal husbandry, aquaculture, and fisheries, will be subject to the requirements of paragraphs 26 through 30, in addition to the rest of this Performance Standard. Where feasible, the client will locate land-based agribusiness and forestry projects on unforested land or land already converted. Clients who are engaged in such industries will manage living natural resources in a sustainable manner, through the application of industry-specific good management practices and available technologies. Where such primary production practices are codified in globally, regionally, or nationally recognized standards, the client will implement sustainable management practices to one or more relevant and credible standards as demonstrated by independent verification or certification.
27. Credible globally, regionally, or nationally recognized standards for sustainable management of living natural resources are those which (i) are objective and achievable; (ii) are founded on a multi-stakeholder consultative process; (iii) encourage step-wise and continual improvements; and (iv) provide for independent verification or certification through appropriate accredited bodies for such standards.20
28. Where relevant and credible standard(s) exist, but the client has not yet obtained independent verification or certification to such standard(s), the client will conduct a pre-assessment of its conformity to the applicable standard(s) and take actions to achieve such verification or certification over an appropriate period of time.
29. In the absence of a relevant and credible global, regional, or national standard for the particular living natural resource in the country concerned, the client will:
19 Ecosystem service references are located in Performance Standard 4, paragraph 8; Performance Standard 5, paragraphs 5 and 25–29; Performance Standard 7, paragraphs 13–17 and 20; and Performance Standard 8, paragraph 11.
20 A credible certification system would be one which is independent, cost-effective, based on objective and measurable performance standards and developed through consultation with relevant stakeholders, such as local people and communities, Indigenous Peoples, and civil society organizations representing consumer, producer and conservation interests. Such a system has fair, transparent and independent decision-making procedures that avoid conflicts of interest.
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Performance Standard 6
Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of
Living Natural Resources
 Commit to applying good international industry operating principles, management practices, and technologies; and
 Actively engage and support the development of a national standard, where relevant, including studies that contribute to the definition and demonstration of sustainable practices.
Supply Chain
30. Where a client is purchasing primary production (especially but not exclusively food and fiber commodities) that is known to be produced in regions where there is a risk of significant conversion of natural and/or critical habitats, systems and verification practices will be adopted as part of the client’s ESMS to evaluate its primary suppliers.21 The systems and verification practices will (i) identify where the supply is coming from and the habitat type of this area; (ii) provide for an ongoing review of the client’s primary supply chains; (iii) limit procurement to those suppliers that can demonstrate that they are not contributing to significant conversion of natural and/or critical habitats (this may be demonstrated by delivery of certified product, or progress towards verification or certification under a credible scheme in certain commodities and/or locations); and (iv) where possible, require actions to shift the client’s primary supply chain over time to suppliers that can demonstrate that they are not significantly adversely impacting these areas. The ability of the client to fully address these risks will depend upon the client’s level of management control or influence over its primary suppliers.
21 Primary suppliers are those suppliers who, on an ongoing basis, provide the majority of living natural resources, goods, and materials essential for the core business processes of the project.
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Performance Standard 7
Indigenous Peoples
Introduction
1. Performance Standard 7 recognizes that Indigenous Peoples, as social groups with identities that are distinct from mainstream groups in national societies, are often among the most marginalized and vulnerable segments of the population. In many cases, their economic, social, and legal status limits their capacity to defend their rights to, and interests in, lands and natural and cultural resources, and may restrict their ability to participate in and benefit from development. Indigenous Peoples are particularly vulnerable if their lands and resources are transformed, encroached upon, or significantly degraded. Their languages, cultures, religions, spiritual beliefs, and institutions may also come under threat. As a consequence, Indigenous Peoples may be more vulnerable to the adverse impacts associated with project development than non-indigenous communities. This vulnerability may include loss of identity, culture, and natural resource-based livelihoods, as well as exposure to impoverishment and diseases.
2. Private sector projects can create opportunities for Indigenous Peoples to participate in, and benefit from project-related activities that may help them fulfill their aspiration for economic and social development. Furthermore, Indigenous Peoples may play a role in sustainable development by promoting and managing activities and enterprises as partners in development. Government often plays a central role in the management of Indigenous Peoples’ issues, and clients should collaborate with the responsible authorities in managing the risks and impacts of their activities.1
Objectives
 To ensure that the development process fosters full respect for the human rights, dignity, aspirations, culture, and natural resource-based livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples.
 To anticipate and avoid adverse impacts of projects on communities of Indigenous Peoples, or when avoidance is not possible, to minimize and/or compensate for such impacts.
 To promote sustainable development benefits and opportunities for Indigenous Peoples in a culturally appropriate manner.
 To establish and maintain an ongoing relationship based on Informed Consultation and Participation (ICP) with the Indigenous Peoples affected by a project throughout the project’s life-cycle.
 To ensure the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) of the Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples when the circumstances described in this Performance Standard are present.
 To respect and preserve the culture, knowledge, and practices of Indigenous Peoples.
Scope of Application
3. The applicability of this Performance Standard is established during the environmental and social risks and impacts identification process. The implementation of the actions necessary to meet the requirements of this Performance Standard is managed through the client’s Environmental and Social Management System, the elements of which are outlined in Performance Standard 1.
1 In addition to meeting the requirements under this Performance Standard, clients must comply with applicable national law, including those laws implementing host country obligations under international law.
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Indigenous Peoples
4. There is no universally accepted definition of “Indigenous Peoples.” Indigenous Peoples may be referred to in different countries by such terms as “Indigenous ethnic minorities,” “aboriginals,” “hill tribes,” “minority nationalities,” “scheduled tribes,” “first nations,” or “tribal groups.”
5. In this Performance Standard, the term “Indigenous Peoples” is used in a generic sense to refer to a distinct social and cultural group possessing the following characteristics in varying degrees:
 Self-identification as members of a distinct indigenous cultural group and recognition of this identity by others;
 Collective attachment to geographically distinct habitats or ancestral territories in the project area and to the natural resources in these habitats and territories;
 Customary cultural, economic, social, or political institutions that are separate from those of the mainstream society or culture; or
 A distinct language or dialect, often different from the official language or languages of the country or region in which they reside.
6. This Performance Standard applies to communities or groups of Indigenous Peoples who maintain a collective attachment, i.e., whose identity as a group or community is linked, to distinct habitats or ancestral territories and the natural resources therein. It may also apply to communities or groups that have lost collective attachment to distinct habitats or ancestral territories in the project area, occurring within the concerned group members’ lifetime, because of forced severance, conflict, government resettlement programs, dispossession of their lands, natural disasters, or incorporation of such territories into an urban area.
7. The client may be required to seek inputs from competent professionals to ascertain whether a particular group is considered as Indigenous Peoples for the purpose of this Performance Standard.
Requirements
General
Avoidance of Adverse Impacts
8. The client will identify, through an environmental and social risks and impacts assessment process, all communities of Indigenous Peoples within the project area of influence who may be affected by the project, as well as the nature and degree of the expected direct and indirect economic, social, cultural (including cultural heritage2), and environmental impacts on them.
9. Adverse impacts on Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples should be avoided where possible. Where alternatives have been explored and adverse impacts are unavoidable, the client will minimize, restore, and/or compensate for these impacts in a culturally appropriate manner commensurate with the nature and scale of such impacts and the vulnerability of the Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples. The client’s proposed actions will be developed with the ICP of the Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples and contained in a time-bound plan, such as an Indigenous Peoples Plan, or a broader community development plan with separate components for Indigenous Peoples.3
2 Additional requirements on protection of cultural heritage are set out in Performance Standard 8.
3 The determination of the appropriate plan may require the input of competent professionals. A community development plan may be appropriate in circumstances where Indigenous Peoples are a part of larger Affected Communities.
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Indigenous Peoples
Participation and Consent
10. The client will undertake an engagement process with the Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples as required in Performance Standard 1. This engagement process includes stakeholder analysis and engagement planning, disclosure of information, consultation, and participation, in a culturally appropriate manner. In addition, this process will:
 Involve Indigenous Peoples’ representative bodies and organizations (e.g., councils of elders or village councils), as well as members of the Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples; and
 Provide sufficient time for Indigenous Peoples’ decision-making processes.4
11. Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples may be particularly vulnerable to the loss of, alienation from or exploitation of their land and access to natural and cultural resources.5 In recognition of this vulnerability, in addition to the General Requirements of this Performance Standard, the client will obtain the FPIC of the Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples in the circumstances described in paragraphs 13–17 of this Performance Standard. FPIC applies to project design, implementation, and expected outcomes related to impacts affecting the communities of Indigenous Peoples. When any of these circumstances apply, the client will engage external experts to assist in the identification of the project risks and impacts.
12. There is no universally accepted definition of FPIC. For the purposes of Performance Standards 1, 7 and 8, “FPIC” has the meaning described in this paragraph. FPIC builds on and expands the process of ICP described in Performance Standard 1 and will be established through good faith negotiation between the client and the Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples. The client will document: (i) the mutually accepted process between the client and Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples, and (ii) evidence of agreement between the parties as the outcome of the negotiations. FPIC does not necessarily require unanimity and may be achieved even when individuals or groups within the community explicitly disagree.
Circumstances Requiring Free, Prior, and Informed Consent
Impacts on Lands and Natural Resources Subject to Traditional Ownership or Under Customary Use
13. Indigenous Peoples are often closely tied to their lands and related natural resources.6 Frequently, these lands are traditionally owned or under customary use.7 While Indigenous Peoples may not possess legal title to these lands as defined by national law, their use of these lands, including seasonal or cyclical use, for their livelihoods, or cultural, ceremonial, and spiritual purposes that define their identity and community, can often be substantiated and documented.
4 Internal decision making processes are generally but not always collective in nature. There may be internal dissent, and decisions may be challenged by some in the community. The consultation process should be sensitive to such dynamics and allow sufficient time for internal decision making processes to reach conclusions that are considered legitimate by the majority of the concerned participants.
5 Natural resources and natural areas with cultural value referred to in this Performance Standard are equivalent to ecosystem provisioning and cultural services as described in Performance Standard 6.
6 Examples include marine and aquatic resources timber, and non-timber forest products, medicinal plants, hunting and gathering grounds, and grazing and cropping areas. Natural resource assets, as referred to in this Performance Standard, are equivalent to provisioning ecosystem services as described in Performance Standard 6.
7 The acquisition and/or leasing of lands with legal title is addressed in Performance Standard 5: Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement.
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Performance Standard 7
Indigenous Peoples
14. If the client proposes to locate a project on, or commercially develop natural resources on lands traditionally owned by, or under the customary use of, Indigenous Peoples, and adverse impacts8 can be expected, the client will take the following steps:
 Document efforts to avoid and otherwise minimize the area of land proposed for the project;
 Document efforts to avoid and otherwise minimize impacts on natural resources and natural areas of importance9 to Indigenous People;
 Identify and review all property interests and traditional resource uses prior to purchasing or leasing land;
 Assess and document the Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples’ resource use without prejudicing any Indigenous Peoples’ land claim.10 The assessment of land and natural resource use should be gender inclusive and specifically consider women’s role in the management and use of these resources;
 Ensure that Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples are informed of their land rights under national law, including any national law recognizing customary use rights; and
 Offer Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples compensation and due process in the case of commercial development of their land and natural resources, together with culturally appropriate sustainable development opportunities, including:
- Providing land-based compensation or compensation-in-kind in lieu of cash compensation where feasible.11
- Ensuring continued access to natural resources, identifying the equivalent replacement resources, or, as a last option, providing compensation and identifying alternative livelihoods if project development results in the loss of access to and the loss of natural resources independent of project land acquisition.
- Ensuring fair and equitable sharing of benefits associated with project usage of the resources where the client intends to utilize natural resources that are central to the identity and livelihood of Affected Communities of Indigenous People and their usage thereof exacerbates livelihood risk.
- Providing Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples with access, usage, and transit on land it is developing subject to overriding health, safety, and security considerations.
Relocation of Indigenous Peoples from Lands and Natural Resources Subject to Traditional Ownership or Under Customary Use
15. The client will consider feasible alternative project designs to avoid the relocation of Indigenous Peoples from communally held12 lands and natural resources subject to traditional ownership or
8 Such adverse impacts may include impacts from loss of access to assets or resources or restrictions on land use resulting from project activities.
9 “Natural resources and natural areas of importance” as referred to in this Performance Standard are equivalent to priority ecosystem services as defined in Performance Standard 6. They refer to those services over which the client has direct management control or significant influence, and those services most likely to be sources of risk in terms of impacts on Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples.
10 While this Performance Standard requires substantiation and documentation of the use of such land, clients should also be aware that the land may already be under alternative use, as designated by the host government.
11 If circumstances prevent the client from offering suitable replacement land, the client must provide verification that such is the case. Under such circumstances, the client will provide non land-based income-earning opportunities over and above cash compensation to the Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples.
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Performance Standard 7
Indigenous Peoples
under customary use. If such relocation is unavoidable the client will not proceed with the project unless FPIC has been obtained as described above. Any relocation of Indigenous Peoples will be consistent with the requirements of Performance Standard 5. Where feasible, the relocated Indigenous Peoples should be able to return to their traditional or customary lands, should the cause of their relocation cease to exist.
Critical Cultural Heritage
16. Where a project may significantly impact on critical cultural heritage13 that is essential to the identity and/or cultural, ceremonial, or spiritual aspects of Indigenous Peoples lives, priority will be given to the avoidance of such impacts. Where significant project impacts on critical cultural heritage are unavoidable, the client will obtain the FPIC of the Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples.
17. Where a project proposes to use the cultural heritage including knowledge, innovations, or practices of Indigenous Peoples for commercial purposes, the client will inform the Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples of (i) their rights under national law; (ii) the scope and nature of the proposed commercial development; (iii) the potential consequences of such development; and (iv) obtain their FPIC. The client will also ensure fair and equitable sharing of benefits from commercialization of such knowledge, innovation, or practice, consistent with the customs and traditions of the Indigenous Peoples.
Mitigation and Development Benefits
18. The client and the Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples will identify mitigation measures in alignment with the mitigation hierarchy described in Performance Standard 1 as well as opportunities for culturally appropriate and sustainable development benefits. The client will ensure the timely and equitable delivery of agreed measures to the Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples.
19. The determination, delivery, and distribution of compensation and other benefit sharing measures to the Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples will take account of the laws, institutions, and customs of these communities as well as their level of interaction with mainstream society. Eligibility for compensation can either be individually or collectively-based, or be a combination of both.14 Where compensation occurs on a collective basis, mechanisms that promote the effective delivery and distribution of compensation to all eligible members of the group will be defined and implemented.
20. Various factors including, but not limited to, the nature of the project, the project context and the vulnerability of the Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples will determine how these communities should benefit from the project. Identified opportunities should aim to address the goals
12 Typically, Indigenous Peoples claim rights and access to, and use of land and resources through traditional or customary systems, many of which entail communal property rights. These traditional claims to land and resources may not be recognized under national laws. Where members of the Affected Communities of Indigenous Peoples individually hold legal title, or where the relevant national law recognizes customary rights for individuals, the requirements of Performance Standard 5 will apply, rather than the requirements under paragraph 17 of this Performance Standard.
13 Includes natural areas with cultural and/or spiritual value such as sacred groves, sacred bodies of water and waterways, sacred trees, and sacred rocks. Natural areas with cultural value are equivalent to priority ecosystem cultural services as defined in Performance Standard 6.
14 Where control of resources, assets and decision making are predominantly collective in nature, efforts will be made to ensure that, where possible, benefits and compensation are collective, and take account of intergenerational differences and needs.
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Indigenous Peoples
and preferences of the Indigenous Peoples including improving their standard of living and livelihoods in a culturally appropriate manner, and to foster the long-term sustainability of the natural resources on which they depend.
Private Sector Responsibilities Where Government is Responsible for Managing Indigenous Peoples Issues
21. Where the government has a defined role in the management of Indigenous Peoples issues in relation to the project, the client will collaborate with the responsible government agency, to the extent feasible and permitted by the agency, to achieve outcomes that are consistent with the objectives of this Performance Standard. In addition, where government capacity is limited, the client will play an active role during planning, implementation, and monitoring of activities to the extent permitted by the agency.
22. The client will prepare a plan that, together with the documents prepared by the responsible government agency, will address the relevant requirements of this Performance Standard. The client may need to include (i) the plan, implementation, and documentation of the process of ICP and engagement and FPIC where relevant; (ii) a description of the government-provided entitlements of affected Indigenous Peoples; (iii) the measures proposed to bridge any gaps between such entitlements, and the requirements of this Performance Standard; and (iv) the financial and implementation responsibilities of the government agency and/or the client.
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Performance Standard 8
Cultural Heritage
Introduction
1. Performance Standard 8 recognizes the importance of cultural heritage for current and future generations. Consistent with the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, this Performance Standard aims to ensure that clients protect cultural heritage in the course of their project activities. In addition, the requirements of this Performance Standard on a project’s use of cultural heritage are based in part on standards set by the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Objectives
 To protect cultural heritage from the adverse impacts of project activities and support its preservation.
 To promote the equitable sharing of benefits from the use of cultural heritage.
Scope of Application
2. The applicability of this Performance Standard is established during the environmental and social risks and impacts identification process. The implementation of the actions necessary to meet the requirements of this Performance Standard is managed through the client’s Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS), the elements of which are outlined in Performance Standard 1. During the project life-cycle, the client will consider potential project impacts to cultural heritage and will apply the provisions of this Performance Standard.
3. For the purposes of this Performance Standard, cultural heritage refers to (i) tangible forms of cultural heritage, such as tangible moveable or immovable objects, property, sites, structures, or groups of structures, having archaeological (prehistoric), paleontological, historical, cultural, artistic, and religious values; (ii) unique natural features or tangible objects that embody cultural values, such as sacred groves, rocks, lakes, and waterfalls; and (iii) certain instances of intangible forms of culture that are proposed to be used for commercial purposes, such as cultural knowledge, innovations, and practices of communities embodying traditional lifestyles.
4. Requirements with respect to tangible forms of cultural heritage are contained in paragraphs 6–16. For requirements with respect to specific instances of intangible forms of cultural heritage described in paragraph 3 (iii) see paragraph 16.
5. The requirements of this Performance Standard apply to cultural heritage regardless of whether or not it has been legally protected or previously disturbed. The requirements of this Performance Standard do not apply to cultural heritage of Indigenous Peoples; Performance Standard 7 describes those requirements.
Requirements
Protection of Cultural Heritage in Project Design and Execution
6. In addition to complying with applicable law on the protection of cultural heritage, including national law implementing the host country’s obligations under the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, the client will identify and protect cultural heritage by ensuring that internationally recognized practices for the protection, field-based study, and documentation of cultural heritage are implemented.
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Performance Standard 8
Cultural Heritage
7. Where the risk and identification process determines that there is a chance of impacts to cultural heritage, the client will retain competent professionals to assist in the identification and protection of cultural heritage. The removal of nonreplicable cultural heritage is subject to the additional requirements of paragraph 10 below. In the case of critical cultural heritage, the requirements of paragraphs 13–15 will apply.
Chance Find Procedures
8. The client is responsible for siting and designing a project to avoid significant adverse impacts to cultural heritage. The environmental and social risks and impacts identification process should determine whether the proposed location of a project is in areas where cultural heritage is expected to be found, either during construction or operations. In such cases, as part of the client’s ESMS, the client will develop provisions for managing chance finds1 through a chance find procedure2 which will be applied in the event that cultural heritage is subsequently discovered. The client will not disturb any chance find further until an assessment by competent professionals is made and actions consistent with the requirements of this Performance Standard are identified.
Consultation
9. Where a project may affect cultural heritage, the client will consult with Affected Communities within the host country who use, or have used within living memory, the cultural heritage for long-standing cultural purposes. The client will consult with the Affected Communities to identify cultural heritage of importance, and to incorporate into the client’s decision-making process the views of the Affected Communities on such cultural heritage. Consultation will also involve the relevant national or local regulatory agencies that are entrusted with the protection of cultural heritage.
Community Access
10. Where the client’s project site contains cultural heritage or prevents access to previously accessible cultural heritage sites being used by, or that have been used by, Affected Communities within living memory for long-standing cultural purposes, the client will, based on consultations under paragraph 9, allow continued access to the cultural site or will provide an alternative access route, subject to overriding health, safety, and security considerations.
Removal of Replicable Cultural Heritage
11. Where the client has encountered tangible cultural heritage that is replicable3 and not critical, the client will apply mitigation measures that favor avoidance. Where avoidance is not feasible, the client will apply a mitigation hierarchy as follows:
 Minimize adverse impacts and implement restoration measures, in situ, that ensure maintenance of the value and functionality of the cultural heritage, including maintaining or restoring any ecosystem processes4 needed to support it;
 Where restoration in situ is not possible, restore the functionality of the cultural heritage, in a different location, including the ecosystem processes needed to support it;
1 Tangible cultural heritage encountered unexpectedly during project construction or operation.
2 A chance find procedure is a project-specific procedure that outlines the actions to be taken if previously unknown cultural heritage is encountered.
3 Replicable cultural heritage is defined as tangible forms of cultural heritage that can themselves be moved to another location or that can be replaced by a similar structure or natural features to which the cultural values can be transferred by appropriate measures. Archeological or historical sites may be considered replicable where the particular eras and cultural values they represent are well represented by other sites and/or structures.
4 Consistent with requirements in Performance Standard 6 related to ecosystem services and conservation of biodiversity.
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Performance Standard 8
Cultural Heritage
 The permanent removal of historical and archeological artifacts and structures is carried out according to the principles of paragraphs 6 and 7 above; and
 Only where minimization of adverse impacts and restoration to ensure maintenance of the value and functionality of the cultural heritage are demonstrably not feasible, and where the Affected Communities are using the tangible cultural heritage for long-standing cultural purposes, compensate for loss of that tangible cultural heritage.
Removal of Non-Replicable Cultural Heritage
12. Most cultural heritage is best protected by preservation in its place, since removal is likely to result in irreparable damage or destruction of the cultural heritage. The client will not remove any nonreplicable cultural heritage,5 unless all of the following conditions are met:
 There are no technically or financially feasible alternatives to removal;
 The overall benefits of the project conclusively outweigh the anticipated cultural heritage loss from removal; and
 Any removal of cultural heritage is conducted using the best available technique.
Critical Cultural Heritage
13. Critical cultural heritage consists of one or both of the following types of cultural heritage: (i) the internationally recognized heritage of communities who use, or have used within living memory the cultural heritage for long-standing cultural purposes; or (ii) legally protected cultural heritage areas, including those proposed by host governments for such designation.
14. The client should not remove, significantly alter, or damage critical cultural heritage. In exceptional circumstances when impacts on critical cultural heritage are unavoidable, the client will use a process of Informed Consultation and Participation (ICP) of the Affected Communities as described in Performance Standard 1 and which uses a good faith negotiation process that results in a documented outcome. The client will retain external experts to assist in the assessment and protection of critical cultural heritage.
15. Legally protected cultural heritage areas6 are important for the protection and conservation of cultural heritage, and additional measures are needed for any projects that would be permitted under the applicable national law in these areas. In circumstances where a proposed project is located within a legally protected area or a legally defined buffer zone, the client, in addition to the requirements for critical cultural heritage cited in paragraph 14 above, will meet the following requirements:
 Comply with defined national or local cultural heritage regulations or the protected area management plans;
 Consult the protected area sponsors and managers, local communities and other key stakeholders on the proposed project; and
 Implement additional programs, as appropriate, to promote and enhance the conservation aims of the protected area.
5 Nonreplicable cultural heritage may relate to the social, economic, cultural, environmental, and climatic conditions of past peoples, their evolving ecologies, adaptive strategies, and early forms of environmental management, where the (i) cultural heritage is unique or relatively unique for the period it represents, or (ii) cultural heritage is unique or relatively unique in linking several periods in the same site.
6 Examples include world heritage sites and nationally protected areas.
January 1, 2012 4
Performance Standard 8
Cultural Heritage
Project’s Use of Cultural Heritage 16. Where a project proposes to use the cultural heritage, including knowledge, innovations, or practices of local communities for commercial purposes,7 the client will inform these communities of
(i) their rights under national law; (ii) the scope and nature of the proposed commercial development; and (iii) the potential consequences of such development. The client will not proceed with such commercialization unless it (i) enters into a process of ICP as described in Performance Standard 1 and which uses a good faith negotiation process that results in a documented outcome and (ii)
provides for fair and equitable sharing of benefits from commercialization of such knowledge, innovation, or practice, consistent with their customs and traditions. 7 Examples include, but are not limited to, commercialization of traditional medicinal knowledge or other sacred or traditional technique for processing plants, fibers, or metals.