Environment FAQ
General
Environmental Policy
Screening
Categorization
- Q12.With regard to classification in the paragraph III.2. of the Guidelines, how do you decide whether "the involvement of the Applicants is only a minor part of a project"?
- Q13.Under the Guidelines, would projects that will acquire equity interest without additional capital investment be automatically categorized as Category C?
- Q14.With regard to classification in the Guidelines, "SDR 10 million" is used as a threshold. What exchange rate is applied for converting SDR to yen?
- Q15.There are some cases where JBIC and NEXI provide different amounts of financing and insurance coverage, respectively, for the same project. Will this result in the same project being classified in different categories, depending on the organization?
- Q16.Regarding the “sensitive areas” that should be considered at the time of categorization, “Natural Environment” of Sensitive Areas in the paragraph III.2. of the Guidelines stipulates, “habitats of rare species requiring protection under domestic legislation, international treaties, etc.” Are standards set by the international organizations included in the “international treaties, etc.” stipulated in the Guidelines?
Environmental Review
- Q17.What is the criterion for making environmental and social considerations in an environmental review?
- Q18.Specifically, what are the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Standards (ESS) and IFC’s Performance Standards?
- Q19.What kinds of international standards and good practices are referred to in the Guidelines?
- Q20.If a third party, with intent to thwart the project, provides NEXI with information which that third party cannot validate, how will NEXI deal with the information?
- Q21.From what sources does NEXI collect environmental information on projects?
- Q22.What is the scope of the stakeholders described in the Guidelines?
- Q23.Specifically, where is “Japan’s national contact point on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises” described in the paragraph III.3. of the Guidelines?
- Q24.Who will conduct environmental assessment and monitoring?
- Q25.Is the information NEXI seeks on the environment actually available?
- Q26.How do the Guidelines address human rights issues?
- Q27.What should be considered with regard to gender, children's rights, HIV/AIDS, and other communicable diseases?
- Q28.According to the Exhibit 1 (3) of the Guidelines, “community health, safety, and security” is listed as one issue of the scope of impacts to be examined. What does NEXI confirm, in particular, regarding the use of security personnel in this respect?
- Q29.According to the Exhibit 1 (3) of the Guidelines, “While air could include greenhouse gases (GHG), specific requirements for environmental and social considerations on this issue are to be made based on the Common Approaches.” What provisions exist in the Common Approaches? Let us also know about the state of standards of international financial institutions used as benchmarks.
- Q30.What is the “associated facilities” expressed in the Exhibit 1 (3) of the Guidelines?
- Q31.The Guidelines Exhibit 1 (6) states, “critical natural habitats (including critical forests) and “natural habitats (including natural forests).” Please identify specifically what they are. Also, please provide specific examples of “significant conversion” and “significant degradation.”
- Q32.What does NEXI confirm in the case of projects which involve involuntary resettlement?
- Q33.The Guidelines Exhibit 1 (7) states, "It is desirable that the resettlement action plan include elements required under the standards of international financial institutions which NEXI benchmarks in its environmental reviews.” What are the elements specifically?
- Q34.The Guidelines Exhibit 1 (8) states, "It is desirable that the indigenous peoples plan include the elements required under the standards of international financial institutions which NEXI benchmarks in its environmental reviews. “What are the elements specifically?
- Q35.The Guidelines Exhibit 1 (8) states, “when a project may have adverse impacts on indigenous peoples’ various rights in relation to land and resources”, “free, prior, and informed consents must be obtained.” Specifically, what kinds of procedure and agreements are required?
- Q36.The Guidelines Exhibit 1 (8) states, “when a project may have adverse impacts on indigenous peoples’ various rights in relation to land and resources, such rights must be respected in accordance with the spirit of the relevant international declarations and treaties, and free, prior, and informed consents must be obtained.” What are the international declarations and treaties relating to indigenous peoples?
- Q37.The Guidelines Exhibit 2 states, “consultation with stakeholders, such as local residents, must take place after sufficient information has been disclosed. Records, etc. of such consultations must be prepared.” Will NEXI confirm whether consultations have taken place?
- Q38.The Guidelines Exhibit 2 states, “It is desirable that ESIA reports cover the items stipulated in the Common Approaches.” Which part of the Common Approaches is referred?
- Q39.In cases where the project may have significant impacts on local residents around project site, should interviews with the affected people be conducted during the project site visit in environmental review?
- Q40.The Guidelines require disclosure of an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) report, etc., but in some countries the disclosure of the ESIA reports, etc. is not legally required. How will NEXI deal with this issue?
Decision-making
Monitoring
Disclosure of Information
- Q46.What is the idea underlying the provision on information disclosure under the Guidelines?
- Q47.Where does information disclosure under the Guidelines stand in relation to information disclosure under the "Law Concerning Access to Information Held by Incorporated Administrative Agencies, Etc." (the "Information Disclosure Law")?
- Q48.Are information disclosure provisions of the Guidelines in line with OECD Common Approaches?
- Q49.Do the Guidelines stipulate any sort of information disclosure to be made during the stage of monitoring too?
- Q50.The Guidelines paragraph VI. states, “NEXI will strive for further information disclosure through its environmental review and monitoring by encouraging the project sponsors through the Applicants.” Specifically, what information do you have in mind?
- Q51.What is the timing of information disclosure and what is included in the disclosed information?
- Q52.The Guidelines paragraph VI. (2) states, "Of the documents other than the ESIA reports, etc. obtained by NEXI from the Applicants for confirming environmental and social considerations." What kinds of documents does this refer to?
- Q53.The Guidelines VI. (2) stipulates, "Of the documents other than the ESIA reports, etc. obtained by NEXI from the Applicants for confirming the environmental and social considerations, NEXI publishes the status of obtaining those that are being disclosed to the public in the project country and make them available on the NEXI website promptly." Regardless of the disclosure of documents in the project country, does NEXI publish them if the project sponsor has given consent to publish on NEXI website?
- Q54.Can't environmental review results be disclosed at an early date?
- Q55.Will the insurance contract be made public after its signing, just like results of environmental review?
- Q56.How long will be the disclosure period for screening and environmental review results?
- Q57.Isn't it inappropriate to exempt some information from disclosure on the grounds of business confidentiality?
- Q58.In many cases, the local residents affected by the project may have no access to the NEXI website. How can these people obtain information on the project?
Ensuring Compliance with the Guidelines
Supplementary Provisions
Others
