ADB Environmental and Social Standards (ESS)

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is an international development finance institution focused on reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive and environmentally sustainable economic growth. Understanding that project context influences the management of environmental and social risks, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) works with borrowers to develop tailored measures that address specific environmental and social risks and impacts proportionately. This commitment ensures context-sensitive and effective project implementation.

The ADB Environmental and Social Standards (ESSs) form part of ADB’s Environmental and Social Framework (ESF), which became effective on 1 January 2026. The ten ESSs set out mandatory requirements for ADB borrowers and/or clients to identify, assess, manage and monitor environmental and social risks and impacts throughout the project cycle, proportionate to the nature and scale of those risks and impacts. They cover assessment and management of environmental and social risks and impacts; labour and working conditions; resource conservation and pollution prevention; health, safety and security; land acquisition and land use restriction; biodiversity conservation and sustainable natural resources management; Indigenous Peoples; cultural heritage; climate change; and stakeholder engagement and information disclosure.