Our work

We assess the environmental and social impacts of all of the projects we invest in and work with our clients to achieve good international standards. We support our countries’ shift towards a low carbon future, making their cities safer and greener.

We integrate climate risk assessments and adaptation measures in our investment operations.

We support our clients in identifying those climate change impacts that are likely to affect their businesses, leading to increased resilience through improved practices, reducing long-term risk.

We have robust safeguard policies and put a particular emphasis on economic inclusion, gender equality and stakeholder engagement. Through our investments in sectors such as water supply, wastewater treatment systems, public transport and sustainable energy, we make a real difference to peoples' lives.

Our GET approach has stepped up our activities in a real and exciting way. We can already see the influence of our work in setting higher standards across the board, delivering tangible results that benefit businesses and communities alike, and making a green business model the new norm across the EBRD region and beyond.

The EBRD is a major player in building partnerships and alliances across our region to raise the profile of green finance. As countries step up their climate finance, policy reform activities play an increasingly important role in our support. We work with authorities at all levels to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy alternatives in the introduction of regulations, legislation and new investments. We work with our clients to help them tackle their environmental and social challenges and in doing so promote the transition to more sustainable market economies.

We engage with all of our stakeholders, including local communities, civil society and international organisations to learn from them, understand their needs and explain the benefits of the EBRD’s work.

We achieve real positive impacts in the communities where we work. Be it making transport infrastructure more resilient to the effects of climate change, introducing higher standards to municipal waste management, or achieving significant emission reductions through increasing residential and industrial energy efficiency, our work has a tangible impact on everyday lives.

At the EBRD, we go beyond providing finance for projects in the hope that, at some point, end‐users will benefit. We promote international best practices and encourage innovative approaches to bring about lasting change.

Each year, we report on the impact of our work in our Sustainability Report. Our impact is amplified by encouraging our clients to implement best practices that often go beyond the acceptable standards in their countries. In that regard, we’re helping them to become sustainability leaders themselves. Every year, we recognise our clients who, with our support and guidance, have demonstrated outstanding commitment to and innovation in sustainable practices, at our annual Sustainability Awards.

The potential impacts of EBRD projects for businesses, wider communities and the environment are assessed right from the start and monitored throughout, so we can be confident that the benefits of an EBRD project will stretch as far into the future as possible.

We are proactive when it comes to sustainability. Environmentally sound and sustainable development is central to the EBRD’s mandate. We promote it throughout our activities and have made it a core element of our work. Our approach to sustainability involves:

• incorporating environmental and social requirements into the appraisal and implementation of all Bank-funded projects based on European Union standards and international good practice
• providing finance and technical assistance specifically aimed at addressing environmental and social issuespromoting economic inclusion and access to community services such as water and public transport
• supporting projects that promote gender equality
• encouraging public participation through pre-investment consultation and information disclosure, and
• maintaining regular strategic dialogue with civil society organisations and other stakeholders.

Stretching outwards from our foundation, we have a robust and inclusive Environmental and Social Policy (ESP) which underpins every project undertaken by the EBRD, where safeguards are put in place to prevent or minimise any adverse impacts, and where opportunities to improve the project’s efficiency and benefits for the wider community and future generations are maximised.

Our ESP has given rise to several other policies and strategies, all underpinned with sustainable development at their core – from our sector and country strategies, to our Public Information Policy, and our strategies for Gender Equality and Economic Inclusion. We work hard to ensure not only that we are contributing to an effective and sustainable transition for our countries, but our work is also in line with the priorities of the international community, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Ultimately, having sustainability as a core feature of our mandate means the effects trickle down into our fundamental work as a development bank. Our projects, policy dialogue and initiatives, as well as our work with the authorities, our clients and civil society, are all underpinned by a focus on building capacity, innovation, growth and safeguarding for the future.

The coronavirus pandemic has had a profound impact on the work of the EBRD and we are working on ways to practically support our clients and countries of operations on issues relating to health and safety, labour and stakeholder engagement.

At a time when coming together is more challenging than ever, it is vital that we stay informed and connected whilst complying with national restrictions and requirements relating to Covid-19.

The EBRD has developed a Solidarity Package to help our clients, partners and countries deal with the impact of the pandemic while continuing to take into account the environmental and social outcomes of our lending in line with the EBRD Environmental & Social Policy and Performance Requirements. 

The EBRD’s Environment and Sustainability Department has been hard at work reshaping our ways of working to respond to the crisis. We have prepared a number a number of briefing notes and also compiled guidance and resources from a range of sources to help clients. 

We have focussed in particular on:

• The coronavirus pandemic gives rise to unparalleled environmental, health and safety and social risks and impacts, presenting significant challenges to companies and their workforces, their contractors and suppliers, as well as host communities across the EBRD regions. We have developed a workplace health and safety risk assessment checklist to help assess the risks from Covid-19 at the workplace.
• Addressing coronavirus challenges related to the protection of workers and their employment, changes to working conditions and labour management, engagement with workers and their representatives, as well as preventing and minimising retrenchment.
• Considering the vulnerabilities of migrant workers and potentially disproportionate impacts of Covid-19 on migrant workers, including women workers and supply chain workers. The briefing note provides guidance for clients on preventing or mitigating severe impacts related to loss of employment or increased risk of exposure where work continues and/or new migrant workers are recruited.
• Advice to our clients on information disclosure and stakeholder engagement during the coronavirus pandemic. The briefing note explores engagement channels that are consistent with social distancing measures and provides guidance on developing a Covid-19 engagement and communications plan.
• A list of websites providing information on Covid-19
• Guidance materials and resources provided by international financial institutions
• Training materials for environmental and social consultants