ESMS Exclusion List
The Bank will not finance loans/projects related to the following activities:
- Production or trade in any product or activity deemed illegal under host country laws or regulations or international conventions and agreements, or subject to international bans or phase out, such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides/herbicides, ozone depleting substances, PCBs, wildlife or products regulated under CITES, illegal trading in drugs, transboundary movements of waste prohibited under international law.
- Production or trade in weapons (anti-personnel landmines, biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, nuclear fuel etc.) and munitions, manufacture of military fighting vehicles.
- Processing of nuclear fuel.
- Production or trade in alcoholic beverages (excluding beer and wine)[1].
- Production or trade in tobacco[1].
- Gambling, casinos and equivalent enterprises[2].
- Production or trade in radioactive materials (except for medical/measurement equipment where IFC considers source trivial or adequately shielded).
- Production or trade in unbonded asbestos fibers (except bonded sheets with asbestos content <20%).
- Drift net fishing in the marine environment using nets in excess of 2.5 km in length.
- Production or activities involving forced labor[3] / harmful child labor[4].
- Forestry and logging.
- Production or trade in wood/forest products other than from sustainably managed forests.
- Coal-related projects, including coal mining, transportation assets used exclusively for coal, coal-fired power plants and related infrastructure.
- Activities of membership organizations, extraterritorial organizations and bodies.
- Trade in goods without required export/import licenses or transit authorizations.
- Activities prohibited by host country law or international conventions on biodiversity or cultural heritage.
- Shipment of oil/hazardous substances in tankers not compliant with IMO.
- Keeping animals for fur production or any fur-related activities.
- Export of mercury/mercury compounds and production/trade of mercury-added products.
Sustainable financing cannot be provided to entities that in the prior year:
- (i) generated >20% revenues or energy from coal
- (ii) had ≥5000 MW installed coal capacity
- (iii) produced ≥10m tons coal. Financing may be provided if purpose aligns with SFF.
Notes:
[1] Bank may finance alcohol/tobacco only if exposure does not exceed partner-agreed threshold.
[2] Gambling/casino cannot be core activity; revenues ≤20% of total income.
[3] Forced labor = any work performed involuntarily under threat of penalty.
[4] Harmful child labor = work that is hazardous, exploitative, or impedes education/health/development.