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Focus on Sustainability 2004

Poverty Reduction and Environmental and Social Sustainability (ESS)

A development oriented institution such as the World Bank Group, with a mission and vision directed to eradicating poverty, has incorporated a commitment to social and environmental sustainability as part of its modus operandi. Therefore, the World Bank's approach to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is different than the one developed by the private sector.


The World Bank's triple bottom line does not include profit-making. The institution's bottom line is instead measured by the development impact of lifting people from poverty – that, associated with environmental and social sustainability, makes a unique triple bottom line reflecting where the core business of the institution is focused.

By acknowledging that the Bank is a different type of organization, with a different triple bottom line, the Bank has adopted its own approach to CSR – called Environmental and Social Sustainability (ESS).

While some units within the Bank who work with outside clients on this agenda will, for practical reasons, refer to their work as CSR, the World Bank as an institution adopted the concept of "ESS" and is focusing its work in three areas

  • improving the impacts of its physical facilities
  • supporting clients on issues related to CSR and enhancing the sustainability focus of World Bank products
  • outreach to the global community as a disseminator of information on ESS and CSR
More information on the Bank's various ESS activities is available by selecting "Main Activities" on the left.

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