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Sustainability Policy

(Development, Human Rights and Gender Equality)

1. Purpose

IIX’s Sustainability Policy (‘Policy”) is aligned with its mission of building a more inclusive world as the foundation for sustainable peace. The Policy is designed for all stakeholders of IIX including its employees, customers, clients, partners and others who have an interest in IIX. The Policy outlines our commitments to environmental and social sustainability and the expectations we have of clients. It supports our business decision making at all levels and provides a frame of reference for dealing with business opportunities and risks in the context of direct and indirect sustainability impacts. It is applicable to all of IIX’s products and services, organizational units and operations in all countries where we do business.


2. Scope

By way of commitments and expectations, the Policy addresses the (potential) direct environmental and social impacts we could create because of our own operations, as well as the (potential) indirect environmental and social impacts we could create because of our or our clients’ activities. The Policy outlines how we expect to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for sustainability risks and performance of our own operations and those of our clients.

3. Sustainability Policy

Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Relevant impacts to be managed align with the International Finance Corporation’s Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability and include, but are not limited to, environmental change, impacts on poverty and equity, labor and working conditions, resource efficiency and pollution prevention, community health, safety and security, sustainable management of living natural resources, and the rights of indigenous peoples. IIX recognizes that it has the opportunity to create positive environmental and social impacts, but that it also has risks associated with the potential negative impacts of its own operations and those of its clients. The commitments and expectations identified herein are applicable for IIX and for all of our clients, companies of which we hold ownership, and business partners and are an integral part of our policies.

3.1 IIX’s Commitment to Sustainability

In line with our commitment to sustainability, in our day-to-day activities, and throughout IIX, we commit to:

  • protect and respect the environment, human rights and labor standards
  • integrate material sustainability criteria in our business decisions and commercial activities
  • provide products and services that:
    • contribute to sustainable development of people, the environment and the economy
    • reduce or avoid unsustainable practices
    • deal responsibly with material impacts
  • encourage and support clients to improve their performance in a way that contributes to their business success and to society and the environment
  • terminate relationships with clients that do not meet the requirements outlined in our sustainability policies and/or international or national legislation and regulations, and that are unwilling to change the undesired practices within an agreed timeframe
  • promote inclusive business models
  • engage for continuous improvement and promote cooperation between businesses, governments and other stakeholders.
  • foster the development of in-house learning, management capacity and leadership on sustainability issues
  • comply with all national laws and regulations in the countries where we operate
  • communicate transparently about our vision and activities.

3.2 What We Expect of Our Clients

IIX believes that sustainability is not an option but a condition for future prosperity. We aim to positively affect the overall sustainability of our clients’ operations. This implies that the identification of material sustainability impacts need to be integrated in daily business, and that the impacts of our clients’ activities on society and the environment, and throughout their supply chains, need full consideration in their decision-making processes. IIX’s expectations of its clients regarding sustainability align with the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the principles of the UN Global Compact. We therefore expect them to contribute to economic, environmental and social progress with a view to achieving sustainable development. Our clients should to the extent practicable avoid causing or contributing to adverse social and environmental impacts, they should seek to prevent or mitigate an adverse impact when the impact is directly linked to their operations or products and services, and they should account for how they address their actual and potential adverse impacts. This process of identifying, preventing, mitigating and being accountable should be an integral part of our clients’ business decision making and risk management systems.

The expectations of our clients outlined in this policy are always applicable, regardless of the sector or industry in which they operate. Specifically, we expect them to:

  • be aware of their sustainability risks, including those in their supply chain
  • use good industry practices
  • commit to time bound plans to achieve progression of their sustainability commitments
  • adopt mitigating strategies that seek to first avoid, then mitigate, then as a last resort compensate
  • implement adaptive mitigation and management measures
  • influence their supply chain to promote sustainable development
  • be transparent about their risks, commitments, and performance, including adverse impacts
  • comply with all applicable local, nationally and internationally ratified laws and regulations and other statutory requirements and be able to show the legality of their operations.

 

4. Environmental Sustainability Policy

The natural environment is all living and non-living things that exist naturally on earth. Relevant risks to the natural environment include climate change, raw material scarcity, natural resource scarcity, water availability, environmental pollution, loss of biodiversity and ecosystems.

4.1 IIX’s Commitment to Environmental Sustainability

IIX recognizes that the economic activities of its own operations may have impacts that could threaten the environment. IIX is therefore committed to a responsible approach to the environment that takes into account the consequences of our activities. With regard to the environment, we specifically commit to:

  • Inculcate the importance of environmental sustainability in our employees
  • Minimize air travel and avoid unnecessary travel to the extent practicable by making use of video and audio conferencing, telephone and email
  • Reduce paper consumption wherever possible by reusing waste paper, sending documents via email where possible, and purchasing products made with recycled paper where practicable
  • Provide and encourage use of recycling bins in IIX offices for waste including, but not limited to, paper, plastic and glass
  • Integrate assessment of material environmental impacts of our clients as a key component of the upfront due diligence and impact assessment process
  • Support clients that provide products and services that:
  • Contribute to sustainable development of the environment;
  • Reduce or avoid unsustainable environmental practices;
  • Deal responsibly with material impacts.
  • Encourage and support clients to improve their performance in a way that contributes to their business success and to the environment;
  • Terminate relationships with clients that do not meet the requirements outlined in Section 4.2, and that are unwilling to change the undesired practices within an agreed timeframe;
  • Engage for continuous improvement and promote cooperation between businesses, governments and other stakeholders for environmental sustainability.

4.2 What We Expect of Our Clients

IIX takes a precautionary approach to assessing the environmental challenges of its clients. Companies that do not effectively address their potential environmental impacts can cause serious long-term and possible irreversible environmental damage, whilst at the same time create significant business risk.

With regard to the environment, we expect all of our clients to:

  • Know and take into account the potential impact of their activities on the environment and seek to avoid or, when avoidance is not possible, minimize adverse impacts;
  • Apply industry-specific good operating principles, management practices and best available technologies that do not degrade the surrounding environment;
  • Be aware of the environmental risks in their value chain and limit dealings to those that can demonstrate that they also apply good industry standards and practices;
  • Use natural resources efficiently;
  • Identify and manage environmental risks and pursue their business activities with a view to continually improving their sustainability performance.

 

5. Social Sustainability Policy

5.1 Human Rights and Gender Equality

Human rights are universal – to be enjoyed by all people, regardless of race, gender, language, origin or other status. Business should respect human rights, which means to avoid infringing on the human rights of others and address human rights impacts business may cause or contribute to.

IIX is particularly committed to upholding the rights of women and girls, as we believe that they have a crucial role in building community resilience and accelerating inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Recognizing that women and girls are often prevented from realizing their potential because of gender inequity, we are committed to empowering them and creating opportunities for them.

5.1.1 IIX’s Commitment to Human Rights and Gender Equality

IIX respects and upholds at all times international human rights described in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, codified in international law. In addition to preventing and mitigating adverse impacts on human rights from its activities and associated relationships, IIX contributes positively to human rights wherever it can.

With regard to human rights and the rights of women and girls, we specifically commit to:

  • Respect and uphold all human rights as described in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which is the global authoritative standard on business respect for human rights, and related international legislation and regulations including the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women;
  • Fully respect the rights of workers, such as freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labor; effective abolition of child labor; and the elimination of discrimination with respect to employment and occupation;
  • Promote a corporate culture of awareness of and respect for human rights;
  • Integrate gender-based analysis of our clients as a key component of our upfront due diligence and impact assessment process
  • Terminate relationships with clients that do not meet the requirements outlined in Section 5.1.2 and that are unwilling to change the undesired practices within an agreed timeframe;
  • Engage for continuous improvement and promote cooperation between businesses, governments and other stakeholders for social sustainability.

5.1.2 What We Expect of Our Clients

With regard to human rights, we expect all of our clients to:

  • Respect and uphold all human rights as described in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, and related international legislation and regulations;
  • Avoid causing or contributing to human rights violations;
  • Identify, prevent, mitigate and account for any actual or potential adverse human rights impacts that are directly linked to their operations, products and services through business relationships including customers, clients, partners and society;
  • Be transparent about their risks of causing or contributing to adverse human rights impacts and how they manage those risks;
  • Be transparent about any violations of human rights;
  • Provide for or cooperate in remediation through legitimate processes for violations of human rights that it has caused or contributed to.

5.2 Anti-Corruption

IIX is committed to applying high standards of honesty and integrity consistently across our global operations and in all our business dealings. Our values, as stated in our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, guide the way we behave as individuals and the way we do business. We are committed to preventing corruption and bribery in all its forms and do not tolerate it in our business or in those with whom we do business, as detailed in our Anti-Bribery & Corruption Policy. We strive to uphold all laws aimed at countering corruption and bribery, including the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, in all the countries in which we operate. Our policies encourage staff that have any suspicion of bribery or other form of corruption within or related to IIX to report this suspicion.