Designing an Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) System tailored to the World Resources Institute (WRI)

World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global research organization working both internationally and in key countries to meet people’s essential needs, protect and restore nature, stabilize the climate, and build resilient societies. As part of its commitment to supporting people, curbing climate change, and safeguarding ecosystems, WRI is developing an Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) System to address environmental and social risks across its institutional portfolio.

WRI has contracted AAE to provide strategic guidance on the design of this ESS System and its related policies. The team is collaborating closely with WRI’s ESS Working Group, country office leadership, program leads, and select project teams to create a system rooted in a human rights-based approach – one that affirms WRI’s commitments to equal opportunity, gender equality, and respectful, inclusive engagement with all rightsholders and stakeholders.

Main tasks include:

• Assessment of WRI needs and of good practices at peer organisations
• Design of ESS System components
• Development of the action plan for implementation
• Presentation on final recommendations

Main outputs are:

• Inception report
• Good practices and peer organisation assessment report
• Proposal for WRI’s ESS System, including an ESS Manual, operational guidance, and templates
• Action plan for implementation