Financial institutions are becoming increasingly aware of the potential impacts of their policies, and are increasingly seeking to ensure that their investments and financial decisions do not contribute to adverse social and environmental impacts in the natural resource sector.

A number of policy commitments have been drawn up, by individual banks, or coalitions of financial institutions. Over fifty financial institutions have now signed up to the Equator Principles, a set of globally applicable, voluntary guidelines to assess and manage social and environmental risks in project.

Policy development of this kind is an important step forward in promoting responsible natural resource management, however delivering the desired impact on the ground requires the construction of practical implementation mechanisms.

ProForest works in support of responsible investment policy development for global financial institutions, and in the development of robust and practical implementation mechanisms, appropriate for adoption by staff in a range of different countries and ecosystems.

Specific services include:

• Policy development and benchmarking – setting realistic, achievable commitments.
• Design and development of practical implementation tools
• Provision of ongoing support and advice via our Responsible Investment & Purchasing Advice Centre (ReIPAC). This includes a helpline offering access to a team of experts with up-to-date knowledge on responsible investment in forest management and other natural resources, and a website providing information on verification schemes for sustainability and responsible management, and specific country updates.