Environmental and Social Management System Implementation Handbook

Abstract

Environmental and social responsibility is becoming more and more important in today’s global economy. There are thousands of environmental and social codes and standards in the world today. The codes and standards define the rules and the objectives. But the challenge is in the implementation. An environmental and social management system (ESMS) helps companies to integrate the rules and objectives into core business operations, through a set of clearly defined, repeatable processes. This handbook is intended to be a practical guide to help companies in the food and beverage industry develop and implement an environmental and social management system, which should help to improve overall operations. Sections I and II provide background on ESMS in the food and beverage industry. Section III provides step-by-step instructions on how to develop and implement an ESMS. For more publications on IFC Sustainability please visit www.ifc.org/sustainabilitypublications.