IKI-Safeguards - Environmental and social standards

Illustration: five people discussing. In the background are a world map, a winter bike, nature.
© International Climate Initiative/Tinkerbelle

Climate action and biodiversity conservation often take place in challenging contexts characterised by weak rule of law, structural inequalities and fragile ecosystems. To ensure that projects operate sustainably in these contexts, protect the environment and people in the best possible way and strengthen positive impacts, the International Climate Initiative (IKI) is committed to complying with international environmental and social standards as part of its due diligence obligations.

This is ensured through the IKI's Safeguards System, often referred to as the IKI Safeguards. These are protective measures designed to prevent, minimise or mitigate adverse impacts as well as strengthen positive effects of project activities on people and the environment.

Objectives

The objectives of the safeguards system are:

  • prevent adverse impacts on the environment and people and ideally maximise the positive impacts of projects
  • strengthen stakeholder engagement and participation, especially of marginalised, vulnerable and indigenous groups
  • enhance the effectiveness, sustainability and quality of projects
  • increase transparency and accountability for IKI stakeholders and the public
  • transparently communicate criteria that exclude support from the IKI

Contact

IKI Safeguards Team

safeguards@z-u-g.org

IFC Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability

Further information

Online seminars on the IKI Safeguards on 20/21 January 2026

Information for IKI projects on compliance with the Safeguards

Questions and answers about the IKI Safeguards.

Core elements

The central elements of the safeguards system include:

  • Safeguards Standards: the environmental and social standards that projects must meet. The IKI applies the Environmental and Social Safeguards of the Green Climate Fund, which currently uses the "IFC Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability".
  • Safeguards Policy: the document that sets out the principles and procedures to ensure environmental and social standards. The Safeguards policy was subject to a public consultation process prior to its publication.
  • Exclusion Criteria: The Exclusion Criteria define which types of activities the IKI does not fund because they are either too risky to ensure compliance with environmental and social standards or are not ethically justifiable.
  • Complaint mechanism: The IKI Independent Complaint Mechanism is a tool which persons adversely affected by project activities can use to report any breach of the environmental and social standards. This provides for external monitoring.

Documents

Guiding principles

For the design of projects, it is crucial to follow the guiding principles. These include:

  • Fundamental rights: human rights and labour rights should be respected and promoted, especially those of indigenous, vulnerable, and marginalised groups and individuals.
  • Non-discrimination: adverse impacts of project activities must not disproportionately affect marginalised, vulnerable or indigenous groups.
  • Participation: Transparent stakeholder participation in projects should be ingrained throughout the entire project cycle.
  • Biodiversity conservation: projects should protect and conserve biodiversity, critical habitats and ecosystem services.
  • Compliance: projects must comply with existing national law and/or obligations of the country under international treaties. The highest standard applies.
  • Equal rights: Gender-based disadvantages, discrimination and unequal treatment should be eliminated.
  • Positive impacts: projects should aim to maximise the positive impacts on the environment and people and where possible to go beyond preventing, mitigating or reducing adverse impacts.

The link has been copied to the clipboard