The Equator Principles are a voluntary set of environmental and social screening criteria and guidelines that provide a framework for banks to manage environmental and social issues in project financing.

The Equator Principles (EP) have become the financial industry standard for environmental and social risk management in projects. Financial institutions adopt the EP to ensure that the projects they finance are developed in a socially responsible manner and reflect sound environmental management practices. By doing so, negative impacts on project-affected ecosystems and communities should be avoided where possible. If unavoidable, negative impacts should be reduced, mitigated and/or compensated for appropriately.

Equator Principles Financial Institutions (EPFIs) believe that the adoption of and adherence to the EP offers significant benefits to them, their borrowers and local stakeholders through their borrowers’ engagement with locally affected communities. Adopters should be able to better assess, mitigate, document and monitor the credit and reputation risk associated with financing development projects

Additionally, the collaboration and learning on broader policy application, interpretation and methodologies between adopters, and with their stakeholders, helps knowledge transfer, learning and best practice development. The adopters‘ role as financiers affords them opportunities to promote responsible environmental stewardship and socially responsible development.

For more information, please visit the following link:

www.equator-principles.com