ESG Policy

Last updated: October 17, 2025

This Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Policy outlines Armenia Corps Development Initiative NGO (“ArmeniaCorps,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) commitments to reduce environmental impact, promote social inclusion and protection, and foster transparent, accountable governance in our operations and programs. It aligns our work with Armenia’s national objectives and international best practices for NGOs.

This Policy applies to ArmeniaCorps’ board, staff, volunteers, interns, consultants, partners, and programs (including community projects, education, youth engagement, environmental activities, communications, etc.).

 

1. Our ESG commitments

 

  • Environmental: reduce our operational footprint, promote nature-based and community-level climate resilience, and embed responsible consumption and waste management in our programs.
  • Social: protect the rights, safety, and dignity of all program participants (especially youth and vulnerable groups); promote inclusion, gender equality, local leadership, and community ownership
  • Governance: maintain transparent, accountable governance and financial stewardship, manage risk ethically, protect personal data, and publish accessible ESG performance information to stakeholders.

 

2. Environmental principles and actions

ArmeniaCorps will:

  1. Reduce emissions and energy use in our operations through energy efficiency measures and responsible travel practices. Where feasible, we will favor low-emission transport and remote/ blended activities to reduce footprint.
  2. Implement circular practice and waste reduction in programming and operations: promote reuse, reduce single-use materials, and institutionalize community waste-management pilots (education + systems).
  3. Prioritize nature-based solutions and climate resilience in community projects (water management, reforestation, sustainable agriculture, green public space) where relevant to beneficiaries and in line with national priorities.
  4. Sustainable procurement: prefer suppliers with verifiable environmental policies, local procurement where it reduces emissions and supports local economies, and consider lifecycle impacts for major purchases.
  5. Measure and report: collect simple environmental metrics (energy use, travel emissions proxy, waste diverted, number of green projects) and report progress publicly.

 

3. Social principles and actions

ArmeniaCorps will:

  1. Protect children and vulnerable people: implement safeguarding policies (child protection, community safeguarding) in all programs involving minors and vulnerable groups.
  2. Inclusion and non-discrimination: design programs that promote equal access for women, youth, displaced persons, and other marginalized groups, using inclusive participation methods and accessible communications.
  3. Decent conduct and people practices: apply fair recruitment, workplace safety, anti-harassment, and professional development standards for staff and volunteers.
  4. Community ownership and participatory design: co-create programs with local stakeholders, value local knowledge, and ensure community consent and agency in interventions.
  5. Data protection and privacy: handle personal data in line with our Privacy Policy and Armenian law; limit data collection to what is necessary and secure it appropriately.

 

4. Governance principles and actions

ArmeniaCorps will:

  1. Board oversight and accountability: ensure the board regularly reviews ESG performance and approves policies that manage ESG risks. Board composition and conflict-of-interest rules will be transparent.
  2. Transparency and reporting: publish an annual program and ESG summary (concise, accessible) describing actions, progress, and lessons learned to donors and the public. 
  3. Ethics and anti-corruption: apply anti-fraud and anti-corruption controls in financial management, procurement, and partnerships.
  4. Risk management: embed ESG risk screening into project design and partnerships; require basic due diligence on partner organizations.
  5. Grievance mechanism: maintain a simple, accessible complaint/feedback channel for beneficiaries, staff, and partners; investigate and address grievances promptly and fairly.

 

5. Implementation and responsibilities

 

  • Senior Management: integrate ESG into strategy and resource allocation; ensure staff training and reporting.
  • Program Teams: include simple ESG checks in project design and monitoring; collect KPI data required for reporting.
  • Board: review ESG policy annually and receive an annual ESG update.
  • All staff and partners: abide by this Policy; report concerns via the grievance channel.

 

6. Partnerships and funding

ArmeniaCorps commits to selecting partners and suppliers who respect our ESG standards. We will be transparent with funders about ESG approaches and welcome dialogue with donors about measurable, realistic expectations.

 

7. Monitoring, reporting, and review

  • We will monitor the KPIs we selected for our ESG commitments and publish an ESG summary on our website.
  • This Policy will be reviewed at least every two years, or sooner if legal or strategic changes require it.

 

8. Stakeholder engagement and feedback

We will regularly consult community stakeholders, beneficiaries, staff, and donors on ESG priorities and performance. Feedback may be submitted via info@armeniacorps.org

 

9. Scope limitations

This Policy applies to ArmeniaCorps activities and those partners where we have operational control or formal agreements. Where we provide funding to partners, we will encourage (and where appropriate require) adherence to these ESG principles.

 

10. Contact

Questions or requests about this Policy or our ESG performance:

Armenia Corps Development Initiative NGO

Email: info@armeniacorps.org