Publication
This report examines the role of women in South Asia’s plastic waste management systems and the challenges they face, and provides recommendations for collaborative action to improve and safeguard women’s livelihoods in the sector.
There are 4.5 billion people living at the base of the pyramid worldwide, surviving on low incomes and lacking access to goods, services, and opportunities. Workers at the base are often in the informal sector or low-skill jobs with limited earning. By adopting inclusive employment practices that enhance advancement, and empowerment of these workers, companies have a critical role in expanding access to better livelihoods for these workers.
A comprehensive suite of resources to empower companies to address gender inequality in the workforce, supply chain, and community activities.✅ Tool Suites: Practical tools and guidance on project planning, recruitment and more ✅ Business Cases: Insights from companies who’ve implement gender-smart practices ✅ Interactive Toolkit Builder: Create a customized action-plan for your company
This publication seeks to advance the concept of social sustainability and sharpen its analytical foundations. The book emphasizes social sustainability’s four key components: social cohesion, inclusion, resilience, and process legitimacy. By identifying interventions that work to promote the components of social sustainability and highlighting the evidence of their links to key development outcomes, this book provides a foundation for using social sustainability to help address the many challenges of our time.
This draft paper highlights current trends in the use of social key performance indicators (KPIs) in Sustainability-Linked Finance, with a focus on the infrastructure sector.
This book examines the role for natural resource wealth in driving Africa’s economic transformation and the implications of the low-carbon transition for resource-rich economies.
Subsoil assets such as metals, minerals, oil, and gas are key sources of government revenues, export earnings, and development potential in most countries in Africa. How can African economies tap into these opportunities while managing the downside risk to their fossil fuel wealth? “Africa’s Resource Future” explores these themes and offers insights to help navigate the uncertainty.
This company insights report is part of a series of short studies highlighting successful gender equality approaches taken by companies in the E2E program as they enhance their recruitment, retention, and promotion of women.
A net zero transition guide that sets out a science-based decarbonization strategy for copper and nickel mining value chain actors.
IFC’s ‘From Disclosure to Development’ (D2D) Project in Sierra Leone strengthens the digital entrepreneurship ecosystem, with a focus on sustainably supporting mining communities.
Sustainability-linked finance (SLF) is a powerful tool for mobilizing capital as the world moves towards a greener global future. SLF incentivizes companies to pursue ambitious, long-term environmental and social goals, and its use can help countries achieve the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
This note shares examples of recent sustainability-linked financing, including several involving IFC in various roles, to highlight how investors can utilize these new instruments in emerging markets and mitigate greenwashing risks.
This guide provides a framework to the market on how sustainable debt instruments can be used to advance gender equality in both the public and private sectors.
The rapid digital transformation underway in Africa has the potential to have an equally transformative impact on women entrepreneurs.
This document illustrates how gender-responsive climate-smart mining (CSM) strategies are good for business and good for the planet. It outlines entry points for gender considerations within the pillars of the CSM Initiative and enlists recommendations for different stakeholders such as companies, government and civil society to engage.
This Guidance Note highlights how training initiatives can respond to women and men’s different needs and learning preferences. It is intended to strengthen the skills and practice of training providers who run technical business courses for entrepreneurs—whether face to face, or virtually.
The series Capturing Hydropower’s Promise features suggested approaches on implementing local benefit sharing in hydropower projects, along with good practice examples.
This brief highlights 10 insights extracted from the publication Capturing Hydropower’s Promise: A Guide to Local Benefit Sharing in Hydropower Projects.
In this report, IFC presents a set of recommendations for governments, industry and civil society aimed at improving data disclosure and use practices of mining royalty data to provide citizens with complete, relevant and actionable information. En el informe de D2D Datos de Regalías Mineras en Colombia: Datos en beneficio de los ciudadanos, IFC presenta […]
Royalties paid by natural resources companies active in Bolivia are intended to support local community development. But often local communities that are impacted by projects do not receive critical benefits to improve their living conditions, such as access to basic services and infrastructure. This can create a difficult operating environment, with host communities looking to […]
This guide has been developed to address key questions and gaps in information we have experienced and observed through extensive discussions across the gender smart investing field over the past few years. It is a practical “how to” step by step guide for fund managers on how to strengthen gender diversity within their own firms and incorporate a gender focus into investment operations.
This paper aims to help enable the increased adoption of Indigenous equity ownership arrangements by providing a detailed, specific and scalable partnership model, focused on transmission development.
This paper, prepared by the First Nation Major Project Coalition, highlights the growing world examples of Indigenous ownership in major projects including energy infrastructure.
This note highlights how increasing gender inclusivity in urban development projects is a key factor in achieving development and investment outcomes.
This brief highlights the benfits of cities involving women in service design, tariff structures, and the water and sanitation workforce
A World Bank Group report finds that the production of minerals, such as graphite, lithium and cobalt, could increase by nearly 500% by 2050, to meet the growing demand for clean energy technologies. It estimates that over 3 billion tons of minerals and metals will be needed to deploy wind, solar and geothermal power, as […]
This note is designed as a quick reference guide to help companies understand how smart, gender-inclusive strategies can bolster the effectiveness of their response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
These are key highlights from the paper “Local Benefit Sharing in Large-Scale Wind and Solar Projects,” providing insights into the unique social challenges and opportunities for wind and solar developers.
When companies recognize the opportunity of a more diverse workforce and supply chain, and of engaging more broadly with communities, they can increase productivity, reduce costs, and strengthen social license to operate.
This series of briefs provided tools for infrastructure and natural resources companies to benefit from gender equality.
As the sector responds to the challenges of clean, reliable, and affordable energy services—there are emerging pathways to close gender gaps and bolster performance across the energy value chain—by including women as potential employees, owners of SMEs, and as consumers.
By understanding the differentiated ways women and men benefit from, contribute to, and experience modes of transport, IFC clients can leverage these insights to maximize their profits while better sharing risks and benefits across the communities they serve.
These are key highlights from the knowledge publication “Unlocking Data Innovation for Social License in Natural Resources” which describes how companies can use new data tools, approaches, and techniques to generate and sustain social license in communities.
These are key highlights from the publication “Data in Action” which consolidates the findings of the natural resources data assessments conducted in: Colombia, Ghana, Mongolia, and Peru by the From Disclosure to Development (D2D) program.
These are key highlights from the publication “Transparency for Impact” which intends to help natural resources companies, government agencies, and development practitioners, design and implement transparency-related interventions.
his discussion paper consolidates the findings of D2D’s natural resources data assessments conducted in: Colombia, Ghana, Mongolia, and Peru. It describes key challenges and makes recommendations to industry, governments, and civil society that help bridge the existing data gaps and unlock data-enabled opportunities in the natural resources sector.
This report describes how companies can use new data tools, approaches, and techniques to generate and sustain social license in communities.
This guide aims to help companies set effective site water targets that are informed by catchment context, which can create value and lessen risks for the company and support collective action.
The study provides recommendations on how to improve the investment climate for renewable energy and wind energy, in particular, through benefit sharing, risk management, and local community engagement.
Part of IFC’s Women on Boards and in Business Leadership Program, the publication features the inspirational personal stories of 20 female business leaders and their advice to other female professionals aspiring to top positions. It highlights the positive impact of their leadership on private sector development in emerging and frontier markets. It also provides key […]
Can data help firms increase profits while decreasing social friction? This report shows how firms in the natural resources sector can leverage new sources of data to form and deepen relationships with local communities and stakeholders in ways that are profitable, inclusive, and sustainable for all parties concerned. The report showcases the experience of firms […]
Good community engagement strengthens PPPs by giving communities voice, enfranchising and mobilizing them to enhance positive impacts while reducing potential negative impacts. This new guide explains how to engage with the communities that will be affected by a PPP project. Aimed at improving development outcomes, the guide provides practical, systematic advice for PPP practitioners. It […]
IFC’s flagship Sustainability Exchange was held in Dakar June 18-19 to explore how to drive innovation through inclusion. The Exchange convened game changers in infrastructure, natural resources, science, and the arts to challenge assumptions and build a pipeline of sustainable investments across Africa and the globe.
This paper offers insights into the unique social challenges and opportunities for wind and solar developers. It distills lessons from the experiences of wind and solar companies in securing and maintaining social license to operate by ensuring that local communities share in the benefit from their projects.
Through pictures, this publication illustrates the results of IFC’s Ayninakuy project and how it impacted local families, as well as the outcomes of public-private partnerships to enhance farmers’ livelihoods in the mining region of Apurimac, Peru.
This guide aims to help local agricultural leaders (“Yachachiq”) address domestic and gender-based violence and promote healthier gender relationships using public channels and resources available to guide women and families.
This report offers practical, actionable guidance and makes the business case for companies to engage more proactively with young adults.
Achieving the SDGs by the target of 2030 will require unprecedented cooperation and collaboration among governments, non-governmental organizations, development partners, the private sector and communities.
This paper synthesises findings from research in Bolivia, Ghana, Peru and Zambia to address the following three questions
Water scarcity poses a risk to companies in the mining and metals sector, but it also represents a significant opportunity–to catalyze collective solutions that improve water security and sanitation for all.
Together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and IPIECA (the global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues), IFC has released for public review and commenting a draft report on how the oil and gas industry contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This guide is specifically designed for facilitators and trainers wanting to raise awareness of local communities in oil and gas producing regions.
It is widely recognized that growth and jobs help lift people out of poverty.
This Good Practice Handbook on the Use of Security Forces: Assessing and Managing Risks and Impacts has been developed for IFC clients and other private sector companies and their consultants.
The overall goal of this guide is to enable local communities affected by oil, gas and mining projects to carry out constructive, peaceful engagement and negotiation with companies and government, with the aim of achieving sustainable development and improved quality of life.
This Atlas maps the relationship between mining and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by using examples of good practice in the industry and existing knowledge and resources in sustainable development that if replicated or scaled up could make useful contributions to the SDGs.
The document shows in a visual manner IFC’s experience promoting social accountability at the local level in Peru’s extractive regions through the implementation of the MIM (Improving Municipal Investment) Peru project.
This paper aims to help stakeholders better assess the voluntary initiatives space for mining and consider options to increase impact.
A resource guide for integrating agreements into Communities and Social Performance work at Rio Tinto.
A Community Development Agreement or CDA can be a vital mechanism for ensuring that local communities benefit from large-scale investment projects, such as mines or forestry concessions.
The draft report is a collection of maps to help mining companies navigate where their products and activities – from exploration, through mining itself, to end products and eventually mine closure – can help the world achieve the SDGs.
As part of fulfilling the international EITI (Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative) Standard, the Independent Administrator worked with the Multi-Stakeholder Group to develop an Executive Summary of the USEITI 2015 Report.
This report provides a summary of World Bank Group (WBG) activities in the extractive industries (EI) sector in FY15.
The publication provides recommendations for managing the resettlement of local communities who have been displaced or whose livelihoods have been impacted due to the presence of mining.
Demonstrating value examines the context and drivers for responsible sourcing and provides practical guidance on approaches that companies can take to demonstrate that they are producing materials responsibly.
Environmental sustainability factors related to mining operations can have significant impacts on both short and long term financial performance of mining companies.
This brief outlines the importance of taking into account legal and regulatory risks in investment decisions regarding copper and gold mines and briefly discusses the research the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI) is conducting to qualify and quantify those risks.
The Mining Association of Canada (MAC) has received the final report of the independent Task Force it commissioned to review its tailings management requirements and guidance under its Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) initiative.
This book addresses a significant gap in international research on companies’ political/diplomatic role in peace processes in intrastate conflict—termed Corporate Peacemaking (CPM).
This guide is primarily aimed at providing guidance to companies on good practice where mining-related activities occur on or near traditional indigenous land and territory.
There is growing need for companies in the palm oil sector to earn a social license to operate (SLO) in response to stakeholder concerns and to manage business risks.
Providing benefits to communities affected by a project can help a company to obtain and maintain a “social license to operate,” and manage project risks and stakeholder expectations.
This document provides guidance, approaches and tools to companies to better manage issues of land rights and responsible governance of tenure.
This document provides information, guidance and tools to support decision-making, planning and implementation of mining local procurement in West Africa, in particular at a country level.
What is the true value of water? What risks does water pose for the private sector? Why do various groups see the value of water differently, and how can these views be reconciled?
Most governments have expressed a commitment to turn revenues from new natural resource discoveries into outcomes that matter for their citizens: better health, better education, and access to quality social services.
The purpose of this Guidance Note is to provide advice to various stakeholders about what is expected in good practice social impact assessment (SIA) and social impact management processes, especially in relation to project development.
In recent years, mining related company-community conflicts have received a great deal of attention by advocacy organizations and traditional and social media.
SUSTAIN magazine presents cutting-edge business solutions for achieving stronger performance while addressing sustainability challenges.
Local content and value addition strategy is one of the methods resource-rich countries are adopting to increase the benefits from resource extraction to their economies, beyond securing optimal rents (royalties, taxes, shares, and other revenues).
The publication addresses the idea of how stronger relationships with stakeholders not only secure the business’ “license to operate,” but also contribute to its sustained innovative strength – creating financial and societal value.
Richard Gilbert, Deputy Director of Business Action for Africa and Beth Jenkins, Insights Director at Business Fights Poverty and Non-Resident Fellow of the Business Action for Africa published the first report in this series in 2009, focusing broadly on the role of business and development.
How can companies across the world achieve stronger performance while addressing sustainability challenges? How can they learn from each other?
ICMM’s Water stewardship framework outlines a common industry approach for what is a complex and locally-defined issue.
This report measures the extent to which local procurement features in the 2011 and 2012 corporate responsibility reports of the top 50 Canadian mining companies.
No mining project in Latin America can succeed today without full community consultation.
Mining companies are increasingly concerned about water risk at all levels: physical, regulatory, reputational and investor.
This report was produced by ICMM, in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Brunswick.
Economic growth is more robust and sustainable when women and men alike participate fully in the labor market.
The statement, which came into effect in May 2015 for all ICMM member companies, articulates a progressive set of commitments.
Experience shows that tackling the underlying causes of EI conflict requires a concerted and multifaceted approach that encompasses governance, macro- and micro-economic stability, capacity enhancement, and creative approaches that increase opportunities for dialogue while contributing to the peaceful resolution of conflict.
This publication, Water Valuation: Building the business case, aims to demonstrate the business case for companies to engage in water valuation and is supported by a review of 21 business case studies that illustrate why and how different companies have carried out water valuation.
The genesis of this article occurred at the FSG-hosted Shared Value Summit in Cambridge, Massachusetts in June 2011 where sixty company representatives and co-authors of the Harvard Business Review article “Creating Shared Value,” Michael E. Porter and Mark Kramer, identified measurement as a key driver of shared value adoption.
When development projects entail potential risks for indigenous peoples or local communities, governments and companies must invest time and resources in ensuring the early and ongoing participation of these communities in project design and implementation.
This report springs from a point of view shared by Monitor and Acumen Fund — that philanthropy is the essential but often overlooked catalyst that unlocks the impact potential of inclusive business and impact investing.
This research report presents a joint analysis by Corporate Citizenship and Nottingham University’s International Centre for Corporate Responsibility of the global business initiatives on women’s empowerment in emerging markets.
In September 2011, through the 2030 Water Resources Group, the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) submitted a report to the Planning Commission of India titled National Water Resources Framework Study.
Increasingly, around the world local communities are demanding a meaningful voice in determining whether and under what conditions oil, natural gas, and mining projects take place.
The 2030 Water Resources Group (WRG) is an innovative and neutral public-private-expert-civil society partnership helping government water officials and their partners accelerate reforms that will ensure sustainable water resource management for the long term development and economic growth of their country.
The negative impacts of extractive industry projects fall predominantly on women rather than men and are much more significant than generally recognized, including the breakdown of family relations and a significant increase in family tensions and domestic violence associated with the arrival of projects in poor communities.
A framework for national and local health authorities
The Local Supplier Development Company Self-Assessment Tool is designed to help companies or institutions with large procurement needs to create a supporting structure that will effectively allow them to use their procurement dollars to maximize the business value that the procurement function can bring.
This guide highlights good practice in designing participatory monitoring programs as a form of socio-environmental management.
The handbook is divided into five parts
This guide, then, represents a step in the right direction to start transforming the relationship between large-scale and artisanal miners through win-win solutions that emerge out of the genuine interaction and dialogue of all stakeholders involved: governments, companies, communities, miners and development organizations.
In 2009, WBCSD and IUCN released Water for Business – the first online guide specifically designed for businesses to help them manage water more sustainably by providing them with an overview of water tools and initiatives which they can use or engage with.
The report Charting Our Water Future was developed to take a first step in providing greater clarity on the scale, costs and tradeoffs of solutions to water scarcity.
Human Rights Impact Assessments (HRIAs) are an important strategy for companies to accomplish this due diligence, and for stakeholders to monitor a company’s performance.
UNDRIP is the global standard on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. While intended for governments, UNRIP sets forth principles and policies that private sector companies should consider when developing their policies and approaches for Indigenous Peoples.
The new publication, Business Linkages: Lessons, Opportunities, and Challenges, is an example of IFC’s ongoing commitment to sharing knowledge and good practices, and to partnering with key global players to address challenges and identify opportunities for linkages in developing countries.
This report explores four key strategies companies can use to expand economic opportunity: 1) creating inclusive business models; 2) developing human capital; 3) building institutional capacity; and 4) helping to optimize the “Rules of the Game.”
The Leading Practice Sustainable Development Program for the Mining Industry is an Australian Government initiative which has produced a series of internationally recognised handbooks on various topics.
This documents gives an overview of a sample of M&E tools, methods, and approaches outlined here, including their purpose and use; advantages and disadvantages; costs, skills, and time required; and key references.
In many developing countries, artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is largely a poverty-driven activity which plays an important economic role.
Indigenous Peoples occupy a unique place in the world’s forests and can play a key role in the management of those forests.