Environmental and Social Risk Management

We approach the management of environmental and social risks with the same care and discipline as any other business risk, and undertake a robust review process to take the environmental and social impacts and practices of our clients and potential clients into consideration in our business selection decisions.

Our Business Principles and Standards guide our overall approach to environmental and social risk management. We apply a high standard of care to serving our clients, consider reputational sensitivity and excellence in everything we do, and have a deep commitment to individual and collective accountability. 

We approach the management of environmental and social risks with the same care and discipline as any other business risk, and undertake a robust review process to take the environmental and social impacts and practices of our clients and potential clients into consideration in our business selection decisions.

We recognize that risk management and business selection decisions are complex and often have to balance potential trade-offs. When we identify potentially significant environmental and social issues, we prefer to address the issue by working with the client on appropriate safeguards and more sustainable practices. By facilitating the adoption of more sustainable practices, we are able to better serve the long-term interests of our clients, the communities and the environment in which they operate, while ensuring prudent risk management for the firm. Where such engagement is not feasible and the transaction involves potentially material environmental impact, significant social issues or unacceptable risks that directly conflict with the firm’s policy, we will forgo the assignment.

In 2018, we reviewed 1,298 transactions for environmental and social risks.

For more detailed information on our Environmental & Social Risk Management processes, please refer to our Environmental Policy Framework.