国际融资中的环境与社会标准:赤道原则

The Environment and Social Code in International Financing: The Equator Principle

赤道原则是由世界主要金融机构根据国际金融公司和世界银行的政策和指南建立的,旨在决定、评估和管理项目融资中的环境与社会风险而确定的金融行业基准。它广泛运用于国际融资实践,并发展成为行业惯例。实践中,赤道银行的中心工作是审慎性审核调查,它们实际上成了环境和社会保护的民间代理人,非政府组织是监督赤道原则实施的主要力量。中国银行业接受赤道原则对银行的风险管理、声誉、市场份额、竞争环境、国际合作和可持续发展等都将大有裨益,并最终促进金融的和谐发展,但赤道原则要移植并扎根于中国,还需要一个合适的金融生态环境,为此,银行还要做很多的工作。

The equator principle is set by world leading financial institutions in line with the policies and guidelines of international financial companies and the World Bank. As a benchmark for financial industry to determine, evaluate and manage the environment and social risk in project financing, it is widely used in international financing and becomes an industrial standard. Operationally, the focus of attention of equatorial banks is on conducting careful investigations. In fact, they act as non-government agents for environmental and social protection. Non-government organizations are the task force to reinforce and supervise the equator principle. Accepting the principle, BOC （Bank of China） will benefit substantially in regard to risk management, reputation, market share, competition environment, international cooperation and sustainable development and will bring about the harmonious development of finance in the end. However, to apply this principle to China, a proper financial eco-environment is needed. Therefore, a lot remains to be done by our banks.