Principles and practice standards

This document sets the SVI Standard to apply Principle 7: Verify the result. The essence of this Principle is to take action; to make decisions about social value in response to data and measurement.

Use this resource to:

• Verification, assurance and certification: Ensure stakeholders are involved in reviewing the final results and verifying them assurance is being provided on behalf of the people who experience the changes in their life.

This document sets the SVI Standard to apply Principle 6: Be Transparent. The essence of this Principle is to take action; to make decisions about social value in response to data and measurement.

Use this resource to:

• Communicate: Demonstrate the basis on which the analysis may be considered accurate and honest, and show that it will be reported to and discussed with stakeholders.

A strategic planning tool for boards and management.

Use this resource to:

• Help embed sustainable business practices into an organisation and provide a foundation for long-term value creation.

This document sets the SVI Standard to apply Principle 8: Be Responsive. The essence of this Principle is to take action; to make decisions about social value in response to data and measurement.

Use this resource to:

• Implement: Create a structured ‘impact management approach’ that can guide decision making at strategic, tactical, and operational levels to optimise impacts on wellbeing for all materially affected stakeholder groups. This means implementing activities that are designed to maximise the extent and rate of positive changes in wellbeing, whilst also identifying and eliminating activities that result in negative changes in wellbeing as fast as possible.

The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights are a set of guidelines for States and companies to prevent, address and remedy human rights abuses committed in business operations.

This resource calls upon organisations to:

• Implement: Set up human rights due diligence.

Practice standards that provide a common language and a system for integrating sustainable development issues, the Sustainable Development Goals and impact management into business and investment decision-making. These practice standards also outline the ‘ABC’ classification methodology, which helps organisations assess whether an impact ‘Acts to reduce harm’, ‘Benefits stakeholders’, or ‘Contributes to solutions’ in relation to the SDGs.

Use this resource to:

Set up processes and embed practices that orient an organisation towards achieving the SDGs. The SDG Impact Standard contains practice indicators that are relevant to several actions. Use the links below to access guidance for different practice indicators. Alternatively, view the whole guidance document here.

Practice standards to support donors in the deployment of public resources through DFIs and private asset managers, in a way that maximises the positive contribution towards the SDGs. The Standards are harmonised in approach with the UNDP SDG Impact Standards suite, the IS-FSD constitute a framework, ensuring that collectively (with the SDG Impact Standards for PE Funds, Bond Issuers and Enterprises) they help to connect actors across the system using a common language and approach for integrating SDG impacts in the investment strategy and throughout the investment process and governance structures.

This resource calls upon organisations to:

• Strategy: Set impact objectives framed in terms of the SDGs and country priorities
• Governance: Set up processes and embed practices that are aligned with the SDG Impact Standards.
• Measure, assess and value: Understand whether all relevant information is being actioned to understand impact. The Standards outline how baselines, social/ ecological thresholds and other contextual information should be included in assessment of whether an underlying asset is contributing to the SDGs.
• Set targets and plan: under construction
• Implement: under construction
• Communicate: Disclose how impacts are managed and measured

Principles describe essential features of managing investments into companies or other organisations with the intent to contribute to measurable positive social or environmental impact alongside financial returns.

This resource has mandatory requirements for signatories.

This resource calls upon organisations to:

• Strategy: Define strategic impact objectives consistent with the investment strategy alongside managing strategic impact on a portfolio basis.
• Governance: Commit to following the principles and periodically having progress of adoption independently verified. The Principles can be applied to an entire investing organisation or an individual fund.
• Identify: under construction
• Measure, assess and value: Assess potential negative impacts of each investment.
• Set targets and plan: under construction
• Implement: Respond appropriately to information on actual and potential impacts.
• Communicate: Use Principle 9 to enable public disclosure of alignment with the Principles.

Principles for the global insurance industry to address environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities.

This resource calls upon organisations to:

• Strategy: Commit to considering environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities in insurance business, and to working with other industry participants to do the same. These Principles are relevant to insurers in their dual role as both corporates and as organisations that make investments. This initiative involves a fee for participation and requires periodic disclosure of progress made towards adopting the principles.
• Governance: under construction

Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) are designed to ensure that signatory banks’ strategy and practice align with the vision society has set out in the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement.

This resource calls upon organisations to:

• Strategy: Commit to aligning the bank’s activities and portfolios to global goals, namely the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreements, by embedding sustainability at the strategic, portfolio and transactional levels, across all business areas.  This initiative involves a fee for participation and requires periodic disclosure of progress made towards enforcing the Principles.
• Governance: under construction
• Identify: under construction
• Measure, assess and value: under construction
• Set targets and plan: under construction
• Verification, assurance and certification: Use the PRB Assurance Guidelines to assure adherence to the Principles.