Environmental and Social Management System

The IUCN Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) provides a systematic procedure to check IUCN projects for potential adverse environmental and social impacts. Its purpose is to ensure that negative impacts are avoided or minimised to the extent possible while positive impacts are promoted.

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Environmental and Social Management System

As illustrated in the visual below, the ESMS is guided by eight overarching principles and four standards that reflect key environmental and social areas and issues at the heart of IUCN’s conservation approach. The principles and standards form the core of the ESMS Policy Framework, which governs the ESMS and determines the minimum environmental and social requirements for IUCN projects. The ESMS review procedure also provides for capturing possible other social and environmental risk issues as well as risks from projects failing to adequately address impacts from climate change and as such increasing the vulnerability of ecosystems and local communities. 

EEMS Policy Framework

The Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) provides a systematic procedure to check IUCN projects for potential adverse environmental and social impacts to assure that negative impacts are avoided or minimised to the extent possible while positive impacts are stimulated.

ESMS System Documents

Relevant system documents are organized in four categories:

 (1) the ESMS Manual that describes the ESMS Policy Framework (including ESMS principles), the institutional and operational arrangements for the ESMS and the ESMS review procedures along the project cycle,

 (2) the four ESMS standards,

 (3) guidance notes for providing more in-depth instruction on selected topics and

 (4) templates for forms and checklists. 

ESMS manual
IUCN ESMS Manual
ESMS standards
IUCN ESMS Standard on Indigenous People
IUCN ESMS Standard Biodiversity
IUCN ESMS Standard Cultural Heritage
IUCN ESMS Standard Inv Resettlement Access Restrictions

 

ESMS guidance
ESMS - Social Impact Assessment (SIA) - guidance note
ESMS - Assessment, Management and Monitoring of Environmental and Social Risks - Guidance Note
ESMS - Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) - guidance and template (WORD)
ESMS - Pest Management Planning - guidance note
ESMS - Social Baseline - guidance note
ESMS - Action Plan to Mitigate Impacts from Access Restrictions - guidance note
ESMS - Access Restriction Mitigation Process Framework - guidance note
ESMS - Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) - guidance note
ESMS - Indigenous Peoples Plan (IPP) - guidance note
ESMS - Indigenous Peoples Planning Framework (IPPF) - guidance note
ESMS - Stakeholder Engagement - guidance note
ESMS - Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) - guidance note
ESMS templates
ESMS Screening and Clearance Template
ESMS - Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) - guidance and template (WORD)
ESMS - Reporting serious incidents - guidance and template

Should you wish to obtain a copy of older versions of IUCN ESMS documents, please contact [email protected].

ESMS Grievance Mechanism

IUCN has put in place an ESMS grievance mechanism to provide people or communities fearing or suffering adverse impacts from a project with an opportunity to raise their concerns. The mechanism covers complaints related to issues where IUCN projects have failed to respect ESMS principles, standards and procedures. The mechanism and complaint procedure are described in the guidance note contained in this folder. A template for submitting complaints is also available below.

For the grievance mechanism to be effective and accessible, the executing entity must inform all relevant project stakeholders of its existence and about the relevant provisions of the ESMS at the start of the project. For GEF projects, a sign must be erected at each project site displaying information about how to contact IUCN if concerns or complaints arise. Guidance for this signage can be found below:

 

IUCN ESMS grievance mechanism guidance note
IUCN ESMS Complaint Form Template
IUCN ESMS Guidance on signage template