NWCI was founded and majority-owned by China Water Industry Group Limited, a HK-listed water operator.  CWI Group is an environmental service provider in in China, three main business lines: 1) water affaires (including water supply, sewage treatment, and construction services), 2) new energy of environmental protection (mainly LFGE), and 3) property investment and development. It is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (1129.HK).

The proposed IFC Investment is a Green Loan in an amount of up to RMB320 million ($50.0 million equivalent). The total project cost is estimated at $72.6 million, and the remaining amount is to be funded by a combination of internal cash flows and newly injected equity.                                              

 NWCI is currently pursuing a pipeline of over twenty LFGE projects across Hunan, Hubei, Guangxi, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Jiangxi, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong and Shanxi

This is a Category B project according to IFC’s Policy on Environmental and Social Sustainability (2012). Based on information reviewed by IFC, the proposed project will have limited adverse E&S impacts that are few, site specific, largely reversible, and readily addressed through existing mitigation measures and good international industry practices (GIIP).

Key E&S issues associated with this project include:

• The company's capacity and management systems to assess and manage E&S risks and impacts for the facilities/sites covered under the project;
• Consistent management of labor and working conditions for employee and contract workers including working hours, overtime, grievance redress, retrenchment, gender-based violence and harassment and occupational health and safety (OHS) policies and practice;
• Resource efficiency and pollution prevention measures;
• Monitoring and management of air emissions, waste and wastewater and hazardous materials;
• Emergency planning and response, including the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Impacts on nearby community health and safety;
• Potential impact on soaring birds by transmission lines or during foraging on existing landfills;and
• The company's stakeholder engagement activities related to E&S aspects and community grievance mechanism.