04 — Sustainability & ESG

Sustainability is the architecture, not an add-on.

ESG is not a set of safeguards bolted onto AQUAVERDE — it is the structure the investment thesis rests on. Managing these dimensions protects cash flow, strengthens debt coverage and unlocks concessional climate finance from institutions like IFC, BID Invest and CAF.

Evidence, not claims

Every commitment carries a number.

The fastest way to lose credibility with a multilateral lender is to claim sustainability without proof. AQUAVERDE takes the opposite approach: each environmental and social commitment is tied to a measurable KPI, an active certification, or a formal target inside the Environmental and Social Action Plan (PAAS).

What follows is organised around the Triple Bottom Line — Planet, People, Governance — and mapped to the IFC Performance Standards that frame multilateral due diligence.

Triple Bottom Line

Three pillars, each measured.

Planet — Environmental

Environmental

Renewable generation Independent solar and wind systems across all three nodes. 70–80% coverage at Capana · 55–65% at the Hub
Carbon footprint Diesel substitution and agrivoltaic technology. 6,000–8,700 tCO₂eq avoided per year
Effluent management Biological treatment targeting zero discharge. 100% compliance with MARN & IFC limits
People — Social

Social

Direct employment Formal technical jobs in high-unemployment rural regions. 335–550 direct jobs
Training Specialised training in larviculture and aquaculture. >40 hours per employee per year
Social licence (LSO) Formal grievance and community dialogue mechanism. Zero paralysing conflicts on record
Governance

Governance

ESG oversight Permanent ESG Committee reporting to lenders on the PAAS. Quarterly reporting cadence
Digital governance Immutable blockchain record enabling independent audit. Farm-to-fork traceability
Reporting standard Annual reports aligned with recognised frameworks. GRI Standards alignment
Climate strategy

Renewable energy as risk mitigation and finance enabler.

In a country with a fragile national grid, independent renewable generation is not only an emissions strategy — it is the program's most robust operational risk mitigant, and it makes the SGR components eligible for concessional climate finance and voluntary carbon markets.

4.7–7.45k
kWp of renewable capacity installed across the program
60–75%
Reduction in energy OPEX through renewable generation
6–8.7k
Tonnes of CO₂eq avoided per year
45–75k
Tonnes of CO₂eq avoided over the 12-year model horizon
Certifications

Credentials that open markets and command a premium.

ASC Chain of CustodyActive

Held by INZUALCA. Enables a price premium on FOB and access to certified premium retailers. A farm-level ASC certification for the Hub is on the roadmap.

SMETA / SedexActive

The social audit standard required by major European retailers. A precondition for supplying European and Japanese markets.

FDAActive

Unrestricted access to the United States — the world's largest shrimp import market — maintained for 15 years without interruption.

EU ApprovalActive

Access to the unified European market. Combined with blockchain traceability, it positions the platform ahead of tightening EU due-diligence rules.

Multilateral alignment

Mapped to the IFC Performance Standards.

The program is structured around the IFC Performance Standards (PS 1–8), the BID Invest environmental and social principles, and the Equator Principles — the framework multilateral lenders use to assess bankability.

A full ESIA and three individual Environmental and Social Management Plans (PGAS) underpin this alignment. The highlights below are indicative; the complete framework is available to qualified investors under NDA.

PS 1

Assessment & management of E&S risks

A complete ESIA and three individual Environmental and Social Management Plans (PGAS), one per node.

PS 2

Labour & working conditions

Formal employment with a minimum standard of more than 40 training hours per employee per year.

PS 3

Resource efficiency & pollution prevention

Renewable generation across three nodes, 6,000–8,700 tCO₂eq avoided per year, and by-product valorisation above 80%.

PS 4

Community health, safety & security

Biosecure site design and emergency preparedness aligned with international good practice.

PS 6

Biodiversity conservation

A buffer corridor at Santa María and independent ecosystem monitoring.

ESG that strengthens the balance sheet.

See how this framework translates into bankability and the terms of investment.

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