Implement

The Equator Principles are a financial industry framework for determining, assessing and managing environmental and social risk in project finance

Use this resource for the following Actions of Impact Management:

• Identify: Understand potential environmental and social risks/impacts, including those related to human rights, climate change and biodiversity.
• Measure, assess and value: Conduct an appropriate assessment process to address the relevant environmental and social risks, as well as the scale of the potential impacts, of the proposed project.
• Implement: Prepare an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) to address any issues raised in the assessment process, and to incorporate the steps required to comply with the applicable standards.

The Financial System Benchmark assesses and ranks the 400 most influential financial institutions on their contribution to global goals, such as the SDGs and the Paris Agreement. As such, it acts as a global accountability mechanism.

Use this resource for the following Actions of Impact Management:

• Benchmarking and rating: Identify areas where it is possible to influence financial system transformation, and to integrate the findings on risks and impacts into relevant internal functions and processes.

The TNFD Disclosure Recommendations provide companies and financial institutions of all sizes with a risk management and disclosure framework to identify, assess, manage and, where appropriate, disclose nature-related issues.

Use this resource for the following Actions of Impact Management:

• Communicate: Ensure consistency of language, structure and approach with both the Task Force on Climate- related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), to enable integrated climate- and nature-related reporting.

This guidance outlines how to to identify, assess, manage and disclose nature-related issues through the ‘LEAP’ approach (Locate, Evaluate, Assess, and Prepare). It is designed for use by organisations of all sizes, and across all sectors and geographies..

Use this resource for the following Actions of Impact Management:

• Identify: Understand an organisation’s potentially material sources of nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities.
• Measure, assess and value: Understand which nature-related risks and opportunities are material and should be disclosed by the organisation. This is done through the identification, measurement and prioritisation of nature-related risks and opportunities originating from the identified dependencies and impacts on nature (see Identify above).
• Set targets and plan: Help achieve a particular corporate goal aligned with the organisation’s mission and values (such as aligning with the targets and goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)).

IFRS S2 is a disclosure standard for entities to communicate information about their climate-related risks and opportunities that could reasonably be expected to affect the entity’s cash flows, access to finance, or cost of capital over the short-, medium- or long-term.

Use this resource for the following Actions of Impact Management:

• Communicate: Disclose information related to: a) the governance processes, controls and procedures that the entity uses to monitor, manage and oversee climate-related risks and opportunities; b) the strategy for managing climate-related risks and opportunities; c) the processes used to identify, assess, prioritise and monitor climate-related risks and opportunities (including whether and how those processes are integrated into and inform overall risk management process); and d) performance in relation to its climate-related risks and opportunities, including progress towards any climate-related targets it has set, and any targets it is required to meet by law or regulation.

ISO’s pathway and transition standards support users in tackling climate change at a strategic, governmental and organisational level, through to tactical applications at the project and product levels. These standards in the ISO 1406x series provide the tools for organisations to develop programmes that can control and eliminate GHG emissions. They focus on integrating organisational adaptation plans by illustrating the impacts and uncertainties of climate change and how they can inform decision-making.

ISO’s management system standards define how an organisation can manage the interrelated parts of its business in order to achieve its objectives. These objectives can relate to a number of different topics, including product or service quality, operational efficiency, environmental performance, health and safety in the workplace and many more. The management system standards help organisations improve their performance by specifying repeatable steps that they can implement to achieve their goals and objectives. They can also help to create an organisational culture that engages in a continuous cycle of self-evaluation, correction and improvement of operations and processes, such as through heightened employee awareness, and management leadership and commitment.

The Green Bond Principles (GBP) seek to support issuers in financing environmentally sound and sustainable projects that foster a net-zero emissions economy and protect the environment.

Use this resource for the following Actions of Impact Management:

• Implement: Use global guidelines that outline best practices when issuing bonds serving social and/or environmental purposes.
• Verification, assurance and certification: Illustrate alignment with the four core components of the GBP.

The Strategic Goals document describes the core concepts for measuring impact to contribute to the SDGs, both through the use of IRIS+ Core Metrics Sets and the IRIS Catalogue of Metrics.

Use this resource for the following Actions of Impact Management:

• Strategy: Create a Theory of Change from evidence within the IRIS+ Thematic Taxonomy.
• Identify: Discover other factors to consider, including impact risk.
• Measure, assess and value: Define what to measure in the context of the investment strategy, by accessing the IRIS+ Core Metrics Sets.
• Set targets and plan: Access third-party resources on targets.
• Implement: Develop strategies to achieve established social and environmental impact objectives.
• Monitor, learn and adapt: Assess progress towards the SDGs using relevant IRIS metrics and terminology.

The IRIS metrics are designed to support impact investors with measuring the social, environmental and financial performance of their investments. They can be used as part of the broader IRIS+ System for measuring, managing and optimising impact.

Use this resource for the following Actions of Impact Management:

• Measure, assess and value: Access usage and calculation guidance for the selected metrics.