Since 2017, the development of formal environmental and social management systems (ESMS) has continued as investee companies work to appoint additional personnel or consultants while navigating the increasingly higher environmental and social governance (ESG) standards expected from them. Involvement of senior management and training of company personnel in the implementation of the ESMS are applicable in all cases. The ESMSs are accompanied by a positive impact plan, based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN (2015). Both PPTL and Frostan in Tanzania are expanding fast. Both have constructed larger facilities and embarking on increased production. Their expansions will be coupled with the appointment of additional staff (already underway) and increased potential environmental risks. To manage their environmental and social risks, to comply with Tanzanian legislation and, importantly, to operate to international best practice standards, the companies each embarked in September 2022 on developing an ESMS for their businesses. The initiatives are being funded by the BIO Technical Assistance Grant awarded to the Fund. The recently completed Terrasan Group ESMS aims to drive environmental and safety performance and to ensure that Terrasan achieves defined and measurable targets of international best practice and contributes to the targets of the SDGs that intersect with its businesses. Their ESMS is also integrated with the systems and reporting requirements of the subsidiary companies to avoid double work in reporting, namely WPP’s FSSC 22000 Food Safety Management System and Aqunion’s Global G.A.P. aquaculture standard.
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