The Sustainable Finance Toolkit

PwC provides the Sustainable Finance Toolkit, a set of a proprietary industry-leading environmental and social (E&S) risk management tools and resources, to banks globally.

The Toolkit:

• Supports users in assessing finance opportunities and taking actions in line with the Equator Principles (EP) and International Finance Corporation Performance Standards. The toolkit has been developed through a continuous cycle of operational use, feedback and improvement and is kept up-to-date on the latest standards, including EP III and IFC Performance Standards.
• Is a centralised system that contains sector guides, client and sector checklists, explanations of ESS risks and guidance on next steps for risk management – all in line with the bank's own policies and procedures.
• Assists deal teams through the transaction process: screening, assessment, credit approval, monitoring and reporting.

Key benefits of the toolkit include: flexibility to align with existing internal policies and processes; checklists that lead to recommended solutions; storing, tracking and monitoring of transaction assessments; EP III reporting and portfolio dashboards; and a library of decision-support tools and resources.

An opportunity can be screened for its level of E&S impact and assigned a category, depending on type, location, sensitivity, and scale as well as the nature and magnitude of its potential E&S impacts. These category definitions are generally based on those used by the IFC. Users can review all sustainability assessments and their breakdown by risk category, industry sector and geographic location.