Put verified social impact next to your carbon outcomes

From cookstove distributions to clean water programs, we assess the social impact your project is creating for the communities it serves.

CLIMATE INVESTMENT · SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Why and who commissions a social impact assessment (SIA)

An SIA shows what a project actually changes for people. It sits beside your carbon numbers and supports CSR, ESG and sustainability reporting. We assess both nature-based and community-based projects.

WHO COMMISSIONS AN SIA
Corporates and CSR teams
Listed companies (BRSR)
Project developers
Fund houses and lenders
Foundations and NGOs
Government agencies

Prove outcomes

Even ambitious abatement leaves emissions that cannot be removed today. High-integrity removals help address that residual.

Report with confidence

Evidence for CSR, ESG and sustainability reports that stakeholders and auditors can trace.

Support carbon claims

Show co-benefits next to carbon outcomes, supporting labels such as CCB and SD VISta.

Manage social risk

Spot grievances, exclusion and unintended harm early, before they affect delivery.

Improve program design

Learn what works, for whom, and where to adjust, using baseline and follow-up data.

Meet funder and buyer needs

Investors and credit buyers often ask for evidence of community benefit.

Get a social impact review

Impact assessment verified at the community level

We assess social outcomes with the same rigor we apply to carbon verification, because investors, donors, and regulators increasingly demand both.

Impact verified in person

We use community interviews, physical verification and direct observation to verify what’s actually happening on the ground.

Built for accountability

We trace funds from source to community to verify whether the outcomes match what was promised.

One integrated assessment

From emission reductions to livelihoods and health, we assess the full impact of your project in one engagement.

Grounded in communities

Different communities define impact differently. We adapt the assessment to project types and beneficiary profiles.

Impact numbers with no proof

Many impact reports cite numbers no one can verify. We trace the journey from funding to impact, so every claim can be proved.

Funds that reached the project but not the people

Investment is only the first step. We trace where the money went, who it reached, and what changed for those communities.

CSR claims with no independent validation

Internal reports aren't enough for social claims. We conduct an independent assessment to give your impact credibility.

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Scoping and framework design

We identify whose lives the project was meant to change, and build the assessment around them.

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Baseline data collection

We document pre-project conditions in the community, so there's a clear starting point to measure what your project actually changed.

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Monitoring through the project

We visit the communities, talk to the families, and see for ourselves whether the reported outcomes match reality.

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Impact measurement and analysis

We measure what actually changed in people's lives, whether that's income, health, access to resources, or daily quality of life.

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Report aligned to SDG standards

An SIA report on the real human outcomes behind the project, with clear suggestions on how to strengthen impact in the next cycle.

Comprehensive report

An SIA report covering methodology, findings, fund flow analysis, and community-level outcomes.

Fund flow analysis

A documented trace of how project funds moved from source to ground, with verification at each stage of deployment.

Beneficiary documentation

Evidence-backed records of how outcomes were measured at the community level.

SDG alignment mapping

Social outcomes linked to Sustainable Development Goals, ready for investor or donor reporting.

Stakeholder engagement records

Documented consultations with community members, local leaders, and project implementers.

Recommendations and gap analysis

Identified gaps between intended and actual impact, with practical steps for improving outcomes in future project cycles.

CLIMATE INVESTMENT · SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Compliance and frameworks: where an SIA fits

Requirements differ by company, sector and project. These are the main frameworks that point towards documented social impact evidence, with wording kept general.

Framework
CSR (India)
Companies Act s.135 · CSR Rules
SEBI BRSR
Listed companies
Land SIA
RFCTLARR Act, 2013
CSRD
ESRS S3
CCB · SD VISta
Verra labels
Gold Standard
SDG impact
What buyers ask
Larger CSR projects are expected to have an independent impact assessment, above thresholds set in the CSR Rules.
Top listed companies report social and governance indicators, with a core set subject to assurance.
Where land is acquired, a statutory SIA with a management plan applies.
Affected communities are a reporting topic for companies in scope. Confirm if you are covered.
CCB looks for net community and biodiversity benefits; SD VISta evidences SDG contributions.
Gold Standard credits carry SDG co-benefit requirements.
How an ARR project responds
Independent, documented assessment of outcomes for beneficiaries.
Evidence behind social indicators and community-impact disclosures.
Project SIAs follow similar steps: consult, baseline, assess, plan mitigation.
Community-level evidence and indicators.
Baseline and monitoring data to support labels.
Quantified SDG outcomes and stakeholder feedback.
HOW AN SIA RUNS

Straight answers on measuring social impact

Start with what developers and financiers ask most about scope and consultation in an SIA, then bring us your project context.

What is a social impact assessment (SIA)?

An SIA evaluates the potential social effects, positive and negative, of a project on communities, livelihoods, and stakeholders.

Why is a social impact assessment needed for climate or development projects?

Many project standards and financiers require evidence that a project won't cause unintended community harm and that local stakeholders have been consulted.

What does the assessment process typically involve?

It typically involves stakeholder consultation, baseline data collection, impact analysis, and recommendations for mitigation or benefit-sharing measures.

Who is consulted during an SIA?

Local communities, affected households, government bodies, and other relevant stakeholders are typically consulted, though the specific groups depend on the project context.

How does an SIA support carbon or REC project certification?

Many carbon and sustainability standards require social safeguards documentation, and an SIA can help meet that requirement. The exact requirements vary by standard and should be confirmed for the specific certification being pursued.

What is a social impact assessment?

It is a structured evaluation of a project's effects on people and communities, health, income, gender, energy access and more, using baseline data, stakeholder engagement and ongoing measurement, typically mapped to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Why do buyers care about social co-benefits?

Credits with strong, well-evidenced community benefits are more credible, more defensible and often command higher prices. Buyers increasingly want proof of real, positive impact, not just tonnes of CO2.