Environmental and Social Assessment

Definition

Environmental and Social Assessment is a process that determines the potential environmental and social risks (ESG Risks) and impacts (including Human Rights and climate change risks and impacts, if applicable) of a proposed Project in its area of influence.

Context

A set of documents is prepared for a Project as part of the Assessment process. The extent and detail of the documentation is commensurate with the Project’s potential environmental and social risks and impacts. Where a Project has a potential to cause adverse Human Rights impacts, the Assessment Documentation should include an assessment of those impacts.

Examples

• an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA)
• Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP)
• documents more limited in scale (such as an audit, risk assessment, hazard assessment and relevant Project-specific environmental permits).

Non-technical environmental summaries can also be used to enhance the Assessment Documentation when these are disclosed to the public as part of a broader Stakeholder Engagement Process.

See Also

• Equator Principles