People
Her goal:
sustainability
KfW supports many projects in developing countries and emerging economies. The Competence Centre for Environmental and Social Sustainability ensures that the interests of human beings and nature are sufficiently protected.
About Ms Loy
Dr Claudia Loy is the Head of the Competence Centre for Environmental and Social Sustainability and Sustainability Officer of KfW Development Bank.
I'm a start helper for …
… more sustainability in our international activities. As head of the Competence Centre for Environmental and Social Sustainability established in 2016, I work with a team of eleven experienced experts to ensure that projects financed by KfW Development Bank and KfW IPEX-Bank comply with international environmental and social sustainability standards, including international human rights standards.
Who benefits from your work?
Even though our promotional projects contribute to the development of our partner countries and to climate change mitigation, nature conservation and environmental protection, they are often associated with potential risks. If, for example, people have to be resettled as a result of infrastructure projects or need help to create new livelihoods, we ensure that the people affected do not suffer any economic or social disadvantages as a result of the project, but are better off if possible. A high level of transparency must be guaranteed in the projects. In particular, the people affected must be informed and have opportunities to voice their concerns and complaints.
Can you give us an example?
During reconstruction of the Mount Coffee hydropower plant in Liberia, which was destroyed in the civil war, an additional emergency spillway was built for extreme flooding. Around 210 residents had to leave their villages to complete the spillway. With contractual agreements and on-site inspections, we ensured that they received new houses, as was their preference, instead of financial compensation by the power plant operator. They were even involved in planning the new village. In addition, residents who had previously only been allowed to use their farmland informally were granted long-term rights to use the substitute land provided, thus strengthening their agricultural livelihood.
How does this kind of inspection work?
Potential projects are screened and assigned to risk categories. Except for low-risk projects, all projects are subject to an environmental and social impact assessment. An environmental and social management plan is drawn up to determine what the contractual partner has to do to protect people and the environment. We monitor compliance – in part by on-site consultants.
Source
The article has been published in the autumn/winter 2018 issue of CHANCEN magazine focusing on sustainability.
To German editionWhat do you think is the biggest challenge?
We operate increasingly in countries with weak legal and social structures, where it is often difficult to enshrine compliance with international standards in our projects. At the same time, the requirements for environmental and social compatibility of the projects we finance have increased. As a result, the costs for inspections and monitoring have increased significantly. KfW has therefore decided to increase the number of positions.
Published on KfW Stories: Monday, 10 December 2018
The described project contributes to the following United Nationsʼ Sustainable Development Goals
Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
In the period between 2007 and 2012, lower-income groups experienced stronger income growth than the higher-income groups in many countries of Asia and Latin America. This is a good indicator that inequality in the world is decreasing because less inequality is an important prerequisite for taking advantage of peoplesʼ economic, scientific and social potential.
All United Nations member states adopted the 2030 Agenda in 2015. At its heart is a list of 17 goals for sustainable development, known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our world should become a place where people are able to live in peace with each other in ways that are ecologically compatible, socially just, and economically effective.
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