2012 Edition
IFC strives for positive development outcomes in the activities it supports in developing countries. These activities include (i) investments financed directly by IFC; (ii) investments implemented through financial intermediaries (FIs) or managed by IFC’s Asset Management Company or any other IFC subsidiary, as well as investments funded in part or in whole by donors; and (iii) advisory services. IFC believes that an important component of achieving positive development outcomes is the environmental and social sustainability of these activities, which IFC pursues and expects to achieve through the application of this Policy on Environmental and Social Sustainability, and a comprehensive set of environmental and social Performance Standards. Through this Policy, IFC puts into practice its commitments to environmental and social sustainability.
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2006 Edition
Applies only to investments that go through IFC's initial credit review process from April 30, 2006 to December 31, 2011.
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Pre-2006 Safeguard Policies
The Safeguard Policies were replaced by the Policy on Social and Environmental Sustainability and the Performance Standards in April 30, 2006. This link to the Pre-2006 Safeguard Policies is provided for reference only.
Supplemental information:
Originally adopted in 2006, IFC's Sustainability Framework was updated in 2012 following an 18-month consultation process with stakeholders around the world. Launched on September 8, 2009, the intention of this review and update was to learn from the experiences of implementation of the Performance Standards and to adapt them as necessary to reflect the evolution in good practice for sustainability and risk mitigation over the preceding years.
» IFC's Sustainability Framework: From Policy Update to Implementation