The Equator Principles

Our Environmental and Social Impact Assessment policy is the mechanism by which Barclays applies the Equator Principles – a voluntary framework banks can use to address the environmental and social risks of project financing.

Barclays was one of four banks which collaborated with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank, to draft the Equator Principles in 2003, based on internationally recognised standards. Since then, they have been adopted by more than 65 banks from 25 countries.

The Equator Principles have established greater consistency and transparency around banks’ requirements for non-financial organisations engaged in project funding transactions. This in turn has prompted such organisations – for example, law firms, construction companies and project sponsors themselves – to consider environmental and social factors in their approaches to these developments.