27526 - WIND

Who We Are
Who We Are

IFC is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in developing countries. By encouraging growth, IFC advances economic development, creates jobs and improves the lives of people.
More About Us
About IFC

Our Leadership

Development Partners
Accountability

Learn more about accountability
Annual Report

Download the Report
What We Do
What We Do

IFC advances economic development and improves the lives of people by encouraging the growth of the private sector in developing countries. We achieve this by investing in impactful projects, mobilizing other investors, and sharing expertise.
What We Do Overview
SOLUTIONS

Our products and services
OUR PRIORITIES

Climate Business

Fragile & Conflict Afflicted Situations

Gender

Mobilizing Private Capital

Sustainability
SECTORS & EXPERTISE

Agribusiness & Forestry

Creative Industries

Education

Financial Institutions

Funds

Health

Infrastructure

Manufacturing

Public-Private Partnerships

Tourism, Retail & Property

Trade & Supply Chain Finance

Venture Capital

Working Upstream
Where We Work
Where We Work

As the largest global development institution focused on the private sector, IFC operates in more than 100 countries around the globe. We apply lessons learned in one region to solve problems in another.
Overview
By Region

Africa

East Asia and Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

Middle East and Central Asia

South Asia
Our Impact
Our Impact

Our impact improves lives. IFC brings a clear set of advantages to the world’s most challenging markets. Including a history of innovation, a global mandate, and a determination to achieve measurable development impact.
Our Impact Overview
PRINCIPLES & MEASUREMENT

Impact Investing at IFC

Measuring and Monitoring (AIMM)

Evaluation

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Owned by 186 member countries and consistently rated AAA/Aaa. IFC aims to achieve our mission of promoting development by providing debt and equity to the private sector, through a range of benchmark and bespoke products.

For Partners

For Investors

Get in Touch

Environmental & Social Review Summary

Project Number

27526

Company Name

WIND TELECOM SA

Date ESRS Disclosed

Dec 12, 2008

Country

Dominican Republic

Region

Latin America and the Caribbean

Last Updated Date

May 5, 2024

Environmental Category

B - Limited

Status

Completed

Previous Events

Approved : Jun 23, 2010
Signed : Nov 23, 2010
Invested : Dec 15, 2010

Sector

Cable and Broadband

Industry

Telecommunications and Technology

Department

TMT, Venture Capital & Funds

Project Description

The project consists of the construction and operation of both a telecommunications network and a television network in Dominican Republic. Wind Telecom S.A. (the “Company” or “Wind”) is a provider of internet, telephony, pay TV and data center services through a mix of technologies including WiMax, point-to-point microwave, fiber optics and MMDS. The company targets residential, corporate and institutional customers. It has begun services in Santo Domingo and Santiago, and plans to expand into smaller cities and rural areas. 10 transmission tower sites have already been built, and through the life of the project close to 200 will be built.

Overview of IFC's Scope of Review

The review of this project consisted of appraising technical, environmental and social information submitted by Wind, and a visit by IFC investment staff to the project site to meet with Wind management and to have a first-hand look at operational activities.

E & S Project Categorization and Applicable Standard

IFC’s environmental and social due diligence indicates that the principal Performance Standards (PSs) to be applied to this investment are:

- PS1: Social and Environmental Assessment and Management Systems
- PS2: Labor and Working Conditions,
- PS3: Pollution Prevention and Abatement

With respect to PS5, Wind acquires land only through willing seller arrangements.

A condition of IFC’s investment will be that Wind’s operations shall consider all relevant social and environmental risks and impacts, including issues covered in all IFC PSs.

This project involves the development of a telecommunications network and a television network, with construction and maintenance of transmission tower sites. Other physical assets are leased, including office spaces, and two small data centers that consist of several rooms within buildings where other activities are conducted. The key issues associated with the project are environmental, health, safety, and social management; labor and working conditions (including employee and contractor occupational health and safety); and pollution prevention and abatement. The nature of the company’s operations is such that no major adverse environmental or social impacts are expected to result from the project, and that it will be possible to avoid or mitigate any limited adverse impacts that might result. As a result, it has been classified as a Category B project according to IFC’s Procedure for Environmental and Social Review of Projects.

Environmental and Social Mitigation Measures

The proposed project will upon implementation of the specific agreed measures described below comply with applicable standards including host country laws and regulations, IFC Performance Standards, and IFC environmental, health and safety guidelines. Information provided by Wind is summarized as follows:

PS1: Environmental, Health, Safety and Social Management

To manage environmental and social risks and impacts, comply with applicable standards, and as a condition of IFC’s investment, Wind has in place elements of an Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS). The company has policy and procedures that include an environmental assessment process for each potential site. For each site chosen, the company obtains required authorizations, including an environmental permit, and will comply with local environmental codes and IFC Performance Standards. The main sponsor owns a diversified group of businesses in the Dominican Republic, including an apparel company, an airport, and a bank, so this project is able to benefit from the sponsor’s broad experience with environmental and social management. Wind has appointed a manager for Environmental, Health and Safety issues, and has written policies and procedures to manage most relevant functions covered in IFC’s PS1 through PS8. As the project moves forward, any missing policies and procedures will be developed.

Wind is outsourcing construction of new tower sites and security services to reputable companies with high quality management standards. The company will ensure prior disclosure of the development of new tower sites to local communities, as site conditions warrant. Wind will include environmental, health and safety terms in all contracts for its outsourced construction and security services, and will monitor compliance with those terms and require improvement in the event that non-compliance is identified.

The company will not undertake any construction in sensitive areas. It is the first telecom operator in the Dominican Republic to seek out opportunities to share infrastructure with other operators, such as cable networks and transmission tower sites. Rather than purchase sites, the company prefers to negotiate to lease them from landowners. A process is in place for site engineers to document locations of sites and surrounding areas.

PS2: Labor and Working Conditions

The company has developed written documentation of its human resources policy and procedures, and will be adding procedures for handling employee grievances to IFC’s satisfaction. Wind ensures that all of its employees are provided with appropriate personal protective equipment and health and safety training for the type of work in which they are engaged. For all of its operational sites, appropriate measures for life and fire safety will be included.

Wind shall make commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that no contractors’ employee who performs work related to core functions of the company for a substantial duration is below the legal employment age. Wind makes commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that contractors’ employees who perform work related to core functions of the company for a substantial duration are provided a safe and healthy work environment, including appropriate training, protective clothing and equipment. These efforts include inspections and audits by Wind of contractors’ operations against applicable standards, which will include PS2.

PS3: Pollution Prevention and Abatement

The company will oversee work performed by construction contractors to ensure compliance with PS3, and practices addressed by IFC’s Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines. Wind will construct secondary containment structures around all fuel tanks at all of the company’s sites, each able to contain greater than 100% of the volume of the tank. The company will ensure that all sites comply with the energy conservation standards in IFC’s EHS Guidelines. An energy management program is already in place, with measures to maximize energy efficiency, and to raise awareness among Wind employees. The company will maximize the useful life of materials and recycle as many materials as possible.

At Wind’s two small data centers, procedures will be developed and implemented for both process heating and process cooling. The company is exploring possible opportunities with potential vendors. The company will discuss with IFC the possibility of participating in a pilot IFC effort to both develop new Green Data Centers and improve existing ones. This pilot effort aims to offer donor-funded technical assistance to IFC clients to support best practices in energy efficiency for buildings, equipment, and cooling. As energy costs are substantial for data centers, payback of the incremental capital costs may be possible through operational savings.

Stakeholder Engagement

Wind recognizes the importance of community engagement. The company has policy and procedures for consulting with local community members and disclosing to them relevant facts regarding proposed new sites. Wind will submit to IFC written procedures for handling and resolving complaints or grievances received from community members regarding any site. Wind offers free educational services to local schools, as described in IFC’s Summary of Project Information for this project.

**Information on IFC's Policy and Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability can be found at www.ifc.org/sustainability

IFC supports its clients in addressing environmental and social issues arising from their business activities by requiring its real sector clients to set up and administer appropriate grievance mechanisms and/or procedures to address complaints from Affected Communities in relation to environmental and social issues arising from IFC's clients' business activities. Since 2012, IFC's Financial Intermediary clients applying the Performance Standards are required to develop External Communications Mechanisms to receive and review inquiries or complaints from any interested party regarding the E&S risks and impacts of their operations.

For IFC projects that are active or under consideration, individual(s), or their authorized representative(s), who allege they have been or will be adversely affected by E&S risks or impacts arising from IFC's clients' business activities, may submit a complaint to IFC directly for consideration. When receiving an E&S complaint, IFC engages with complainants and works with its clients to find solutions to E&S concerns as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Complaints can be submitted to IFC online at www.ifc.org/escomplaints or by email to EScomplaints@ifc.org.

IFC complaint response is separate from and complementary to IFC’s clients’ project level grievance mechanisms and IFC’s Independent Accountability Mechanism (CAO). Lodging a complaint directly with IFC does not, at any time, restrict access to CAO.

Affected communities have unrestricted access to the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO), the independent accountability mechanism for IFC and MIGA. CAO facilitates the resolution of complaints related to IFC and MIGA projects and sub-projects, undertakes reviews of IFC’s and MIGA’s environmental and social compliance, fosters public accountability for their commitments, and enhances the environmental and social performance of IFC and MIGA.

Independent of IFC and MIGA management and reporting directly to the IFC and MIGA Boards of Executive Directors, CAO helps resolve issues raised about the environmental and social impacts of projects through a neutral, collaborative, problem-solving approach via its Dispute Resolution function. It also reviews IFC’s and MIGA’s compliance with environmental and social policies, assesses related harm, and recommends remedial actions through its Compliance function. Additionally, CAO provides advice to IFC, MIGA, and their Boards to enhance environmental and social sustainability performance and minimize the risk of harm.

Complaints may relate to environmental and social harm regarding any aspect of the planning, implementation, or impact of a project or sub-project, and can be made by any individual, group, community, entity, or other party affected or likely to be affected by the environmental or social impacts of an IFC- or MIGA-financed business activity.

Complaints can be submitted by any of the following methods:

Online form: available at https://www.cao-ombudsman.org/
Mail/Hand Delivery to: 2121 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA
Voice mail: +1 202 458 1973
Email: cao@worldbankgroup.org
SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal: +1 202 650 2627

CAO receives and addresses complaints in accordance with the CAO Policy, which can be accessed at: https://www.cao-ombudsman.org/policies-guidelines.

This Environmental and Social Review Summary (ESRS) is prepared by IFC to disclose its findings and recommendations related to environmental and social considerations regarding potential investments. Its purpose is to enhance the transparency of IFC's activities. For any project documentation or data included or attached herein, whether prepared by the project sponsor or otherwise, authorization has been given for public release by the project sponsor. IFC considers that this ESRS is of adequate quality for release to the public, but has not necessarily independently verified all of the project information therein.
It is distributed in advance of IFC Board of Directors' consideration and may be periodically updated thereafter. Board dates are estimates only and this document should not be construed as presuming the outcome of the Board Directors’ decision. The following ESRS is disclosed in accordance with IFC's Access to Information Policy (AIP).

The map is for illustrative purposes and does not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of the World Bank, concerning the legal status of any country or territory or concerning the delimitation of frontiers or boundaries. Country borders or names do not necessarily reflect the World Bank Group's official position. In some cases, available project location information is limited to the country of the project's activities. Locations are approximate.

Projects

Environmental & Social Review Summary

Project Description

Overview of IFC's Scope of Review

E & S Project Categorization and Applicable Standard

Identified Applicable Performance Standards

Environmental and Social Categorization and Rationale

Environmental and Social Mitigation Measures

Environmental and Social Mitigation Measures

Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder Engagement

Local Access of Project Documentation

Press-Release

Related SII

Similar Projects

Information on E&S Complaints and Grievance Mechanisms

Disclaimer