Call for Public Inputs: Development of the GCF’s Environmental and Social Safeguards, Stage 2 - Proposed ESS Standards updates

The GCF is developing its own Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) to replace the interim IFC Performance Standards. The proposed framework expands from eight to ten standards, adding dedicated standards for Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure (ESS 9) and Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation (ESS 10). Key updates across all standards include a shift from a 'do-no-harm' to a 'do-good' approach, emphasizing the generation of positive co-benefits, the integration of circular economy principles, and a stronger focus on human rights, gender equality, and intersectionality. The document outlines specific structural and content changes for each standard, including new requirements for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions disclosure, the use of a precautionary approach, and enhanced protections for Indigenous Peoples and vulnerable groups.

• The GCF proposes to expand its ESS framework from eight to ten standards, introducing ESS 9 (Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure) and ESS 10 (Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation) to emphasize these topics and align with the GCF's specific mandate.
• The updated ESS aims to transition from a traditional risk-mitigation 'do-no-harm' approach to a 'do-good approach' that actively promotes positive social and environmental outcomes and co-benefits.
• ESS 1 is updated to focus on project-level responsibilities rather than corporate-level ESMS, introducing requirements for Environmental and Social Corrective Action Plans (ESCAP) and Environmental and Social Due Diligence (ESDD).
• ESS 2 introduces expanded protections for workers, including the recognition of 'community workers' and 'civil servants', and requires that occupational health and safety (OHS) management considers weather and climate risks.
• ESS 3 integrates circular economy principles into project design and decommissioning to minimize resource use and waste, and expands GHG emissions requirements to include the identification of both sources and sinks across the project value chain.
• ESS 4 introduces a 'hierarchy of risk control' for community health and safety and adds specific requirements for addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH).
• ESS 5 emphasizes a human rights-based approach to land acquisition, introducing a specific objective to avoid forced evictions and requiring that resettlement be treated as a sustainable development opportunity.
• ESS 6 incorporates the precautionary principle and introduces a requirement for a construction Biodiversity Management Plan (BMP) for projects in natural habitats or those affecting significant biodiversity values.
• ESS 7 is aligned with the GCF's Indigenous Peoples Policy, emphasizing that Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) is both a process and an outcome that must be documented.
• ESS 9 establishes stakeholder engagement as a standalone standard, requiring a systematic lifecycle approach and placing greater emphasis on the needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.
• ESS 10 requires entities to undertake Physical and Transition Climate Risk Assessments, considering communities, ecosystems, and critical infrastructure as risk receptors over a screening period of 30 years.

APA

Green Climate Fund (2022). Call for Public Inputs: Development of the GCF’s Environmental and Social Safeguards, Stage 2 - Proposed ESS Standards updates. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/call-inputs-ess-stage-2-annex.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. Call for Public Inputs: Development of the GCF’s Environmental and Social Safeguards, Stage 2 - Proposed ESS Standards updates. 2022. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/call-inputs-ess-stage-2-annex.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=Call for Public Inputs: Development of the GCF’s Environmental and Social Safeguards, Stage 2 - Proposed ESS Standards updates |date=March 2022 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/call-inputs-ess-stage-2-annex.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2022call, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{Call for Public Inputs: Development of the GCF’s Environmental and Social Safeguards, Stage 2 - Proposed ESS Standards updates}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2022}, month = mar, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/call-inputs-ess-stage-2-annex.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }