The Equator Principles are intended to serve as a common baseline and a risk management framework, adopted by financial institutions, for determining, assessing and managing environmental and social risk in projects. As a member since 2003, we apply these principles to ensure the projects we finance and advise on are developed in a manner that is socially responsible and reflects sound environmental management practices. Further, we use these principles as a platform for our own internal policies, procedures and standards for project due diligence.
Project Finance
The Equator Principles apply to all project finance loans where total project capital costs exceed USD 10 million or more.
The following 70 Project Finance transactions were subject to Equator Principles and achieved financial close during the calendar year 2025:
EA project categories1
Cat A
Cat B
Cat C
Total
13
41
16
Sector
Mining
–
–
–
Infrastructure
1
17
15
Oil & Gas
4
–
–
Power
8
23
1
Others²
–
1
–
Region
Americas
3
9
9
Asia Pacific
3
20
6
Europe, Middle East & Africa
7
12
1
Country Designation3
Designated Country
4
13
12
Non-Designated Country
9
28
4
Independent Review4
Yes
13
30
6
No
–
11
10
1Projects are categorised as A, B or C in relation to the magnitude of potential environmental and social risks and impacts. This is based on the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) environmental and social categorisation process. For more detail please see EP4 for guidance. 2 Sectors covered under “Others” include Agro-industries, Transport, Chemicals and Manufacturing. 3 Designated Countries (previously named High-Income OECD Countries) are those countries deemed under EP to have robust environmental and social governance, legislation systems and institutional capacity designed to protect their people and the natural environment. Click here for the list of Designated Countries. 4 Carried out by an Independent E&S Consultant. For more detail please see Principle 7 of EP4.
Project-Related Corporate Loans
The Equator Principles apply to Project-Related Corporate Loans where all three of the following criteria are met:
The majority of the loan is related to a Project over which the client has Effective Operational Control (either direct or indirect)
The total aggregate loan amount and individual commitment (before syndication or sell down) are each at least USD 50 million
The loan tenor is at least two years
The following 14 Project-Related Corporate Loans were subject to Equator Principles and achieved financial close during the calendar year 2025:
EP Categories
Cat A
Cat B
Cat C
Total
5
5
4
Sector
Mining
–
–
–
Infrastructure
3
3
3
Oil & Gas
1
–
–
Power
–
1
–
Others
1
1
1
Region
Americas
–
1
–
Asia Pacific
2
–
4
Europe, Middle East & Africa
3
4
–
Country Designation
Designated Country
–
1
1
Non-Designated Country
5
4
3
Independent Review
Yes
5
4
–
No
–
1
4
Project-Related Refinance and Project-Related Acquisition Finance
The Equator Principles apply to all Project-Related Refinance and Project-Related Acquisition Finance, where all of the following three criteria are met:
The underlying Project was financed in accordance with the Equator Principles framework
There has been no material change in the scale or scope of the Project
Project Completion has not yet occurred at the time of the signing of the facility or loan agreement
The following 2 Project-Related Refinance and Project-Related Acquisition Finance transactions were subject to Equator Principles and achieved financial close during the calendar year 2025:
EP Categories
Cat A
Cat B
Cat C
Total
1
1
–
Sector
Mining
–
–
–
Infrastructure
–
–
–
Oil & Gas
–
–
–
Power
1
1
–
Others
–
–
–
Region
Americas
–
–
–
Asia Pacific
–
–
–
Europe, Middle East & Africa
1
1
–
Country Designation
Designated Country
–
–
–
Non-Designated Country
1
1
–
Independent Review
Yes
1
1
–
No
–
–
–
Project Finance Advisory Services
The Equator Principles apply to all Project Finance Advisory Services where total project capital costs exceed USD 10 million or more.
4 Project Finance Advisory Services were subject to Equator Principles and achieved financial close during the calendar year 2025.
EP Categories
Total
4
Sector
Mining
–
Infrastructure
1
Oil & Gas
3
Power
–
Others
–
Region
Americas
–
Asia Pacific
–
Europe, Middle East & Africa
4
Country Designation
Designated Country
–
Non-Designated Country
–
Independent Review
Yes
–
No
–
Note: In line with Equator Principles (EP4), Standard Chartered only requires reporting the Sector and Region for Project Finance Advisory Services, and may exclude the Category and Independent Review, as the projects are often at an early stage of development and not all information is available.
Applying the Equator Principles
We have a team of internal environmental and social specialists (known as Environmental and Social Risk Management / ‘ESRM’) who support our business teams in ensuring that the Equator Principles are correctly applied to within-scope transactions. The ESRM team sits within the Chief Sustainability Officer organisation, and ensures the Bank’s systems and controls accurately embed our obligations as an Equator Principles signatory. This approach is governed by the Bank’s Environmental, Social and Governance Risk Policy.
The ESRM team is engaged by business teams to confirm Equator Principles categorisation in all identified Equator Principles transactions. This includes the review of environmental and social due diligence reports or advising on specific requirements of the Principles. For those projects that fall outside the obligations of the Equator Principles, the ESRM team ensures the correct application of our internal policies, procedures and standards. For more information on how we identify, manage and assess E&S risks, including for EP projects, please refer to our Environmental and Social Risk Management Framework.