The CFF has compiled this toolkit in collaboration with eThekwini Municipality (Durban) to guide practitioners, decision-and policy-makers, and anyone interested in the topic, on how to improve the overall health of rivers. The toolkit comprises both grey infrastructure (i.e. human-engineered hard structures, such as gabions) and light-touch grey infrastructure (i.e. ecologically-friendly engineering solutions, such as wetland construction and brush packing). Each intervention option is accompanied by a specifications sheet with relevant information for planning, designing, financing and implementation. Whilst the interventions proposed in the toolkit are focused on the Kwa-Zulu Natal context, they can be applied elsewhere following the appropriate contextualisation process.

Sector(s): Natural Infrastructure
Lifecycle Phase(s): Strategic PlanningPublic authorities identify the needs and long-term vision for infrastructure development., PrioritizationAuthorities decide which projects to realize and how to allocate resources., Project PlanningGeneral strategy for a project’s delivery is developed.
Type(s) of Tool: GuidelinesOperationalize sustainability principles, less specific than Benchmarks or Rating Systems.
Organization: C40 Cities Finance Facility

The Blue Dot Network aims to help mobilise private sector investment by identifying and encouraging market-driven, transparent, and sustainable infrastructure projects. It establishes a voluntary, private-sector focused, government-supported project-level certification that aligns with the G20 Principles for Quality Infrastructure Investment, the UN Sustainable Development Goalsthe International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards, the Equator Principles, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and the OECD Recommendation on the Governance of Infrastructure. The Blue Dot Certification Framework is currently being piloted on a number of infrastructure projects across different regions and sectors.

Sector(s): Tools applicable to all sectors
Lifecycle Phase(s): Project PlanningGeneral strategy for a project’s delivery is developed., Concept DesignTechnical experts broadly outline the project’s basic characteristics., ProcurementThe provision of goods and services to realize a project are tendered and closed., Detailed DesignTechnical experts further elaborate the Concept Design., ConstructionThe asset is constructed in line with design, budget and timeline., Operation and MaintenanceInfrastructure assets are managed and maintained during their use time.
Type(s) of Tool: Rating SystemsProvide quantifiable sustainability ratings and / or certification for projects or assets.
Organization: Blue Dot Network, OECD

Build4Skills aims to improve the integration and therefore available opportunities for technical and vocational education and training in infrastructure project delivery. Build4Skills deploys TVET students to construction sites and trains in-company instructors on didactics, occupational safety and gender sensitivity. The Build4Skills Toolkit is based on the experiences of the cooperation of the project with the Asian Development Bank on infrastructure sites in Mongolia and Pakistan. It derives recommendations on how to implement similar projects elsewhere and  like this aims to support MDB’s and other actors to procure their infrastructure projects in a way that contributes to skill and economic development. To do so, it summarizes the Build4skills implementation practice, offers guidance on how Build4Skills can be applied in additional construction projects in the future, and provides an outlook on how this Toolkit and the project’s approach can be further developed. It highlights a delivery framework based on four components to plan and execute a Build4Skills project and two design principles that pervade all four stages.

Sector(s): Tools applicable to all sectors
Lifecycle Phase(s): Project PlanningGeneral strategy for a project’s delivery is developed., ProcurementThe provision of goods and services to realize a project are tendered and closed., ConstructionThe asset is constructed in line with design, budget and timeline.
Type(s) of Tool: GuidelinesOperationalize sustainability principles, less specific than Benchmarks or Rating Systems.
Organization: GIZ

The Building EJ Tool is a free online tool that’s been developed for design teams and community development advocates to be used on building projects. This tool provides local data, resources, and frameworks for design teams to identify pressing issues and document a project’s journey to accounting for more equitable design.

The tool also enables local community leaders, environmental justice experts, and community based organizations to actively connect with projects they want to engage with or partner on, as well as for stakeholders to have more transparency on projects in their community.

Sector(s): Urban Planning, Buildings, Tools applicable to all sectors
Lifecycle Phase(s): Strategic PlanningPublic authorities identify the needs and long-term vision for infrastructure development., Project PlanningGeneral strategy for a project’s delivery is developed., Concept DesignTechnical experts broadly outline the project’s basic characteristics., ConstructionThe asset is constructed in line with design, budget and timeline.
Type(s) of Tool: GuidelinesOperationalize sustainability principles, less specific than Benchmarks or Rating Systems., Impact AssessmentsEvaluate the impacts of assets or policies on the environment and local livelihoods.
Organization: Autocase

C.Scale (formerly the EPIC assessment) is a free, web-based whole-life carbon platform spun out from EHDD to enable climate-positive design decisions in the earliest phases of building and infrastructure projects, when data are scarce but the opportunity for emissions reduction is greatest. Leveraging machine-learning models trained on global building and infrastructure datasets, C.Scale combines region-specific background data, forward-looking carbon projections, and peer-reviewed embodied-carbon factors to deliver rapid “what-if” analyses of massing, materials, and energy strategies. In late 2024, the core EPIC team formed C.Scale as an independent public-benefit corporation—allowing for dedicated development, investor support, and integration into broader decarbonization workflows.

Sector(s): Urban Planning, Buildings
Lifecycle Phase(s): Enabling EnvironmentConditions that enable the integration of sustainability practices (regulation, laws, frameworks etc.)., Strategic PlanningPublic authorities identify the needs and long-term vision for infrastructure development., PrioritizationAuthorities decide which projects to realize and how to allocate resources., Project PlanningGeneral strategy for a project’s delivery is developed., Concept DesignTechnical experts broadly outline the project’s basic characteristics.
Type(s) of Tool: Project Preparation ToolsHelp public authorities manage sustainable project preparation processes., Modelling ToolsSimulate economic, social, and physical systems to help planners optimize outcomes from different decisions.
Organization: EHDD

The toolkit provides guidelines for the identification as well as mitigation of climate risk and leveraging opportunities to improve the (climate) resilience and productivity of infrastructure throughout the whole lifecycle of a private-public-partnership (PPP) project. The PPP project lifecycle is broken down into four stages in the toolkit:(1) project identification, (2) business case, (3) transaction structuring and (4) contract management. For each project stage, the reader is provided with relevant climate-related aspects. Through several tools, frameworks and templates, the toolkit empowers the user to assess as well as quantify risks monetarily and mitigate them within the context of a PPP project structure.

Sector(s): Tools applicable to all sectors
Lifecycle Phase(s): Strategic PlanningPublic authorities identify the needs and long-term vision for infrastructure development., Project PlanningGeneral strategy for a project’s delivery is developed., ProcurementThe provision of goods and services to realize a project are tendered and closed.
Type(s) of Tool: Project Preparation ToolsHelp public authorities manage sustainable project preparation processes.
Organization: Inter-American Development Bank

The Climate Toolkits for Infrastructure Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), developed by the World Bank Group, is a comprehensive guide designed to integrate climate considerations into the entire lifecycle of PPP infrastructure projects. The toolkit emphasizes the dual goals of climate resilience and private sector engagement. It addresses critical questions such as optimizing risk allocation in the face of climate uncertainty, promoting gender inclusivity, and enhancing the long-term sustainability of investments. Comprising a high-level toolkit and sector-specific modules, it facilitates informed decision-making at each phase of the PPP cycle.

Sector(s): Tools applicable to all sectors
Lifecycle Phase(s): Strategic PlanningPublic authorities identify the needs and long-term vision for infrastructure development., Project PlanningGeneral strategy for a project’s delivery is developed., ProcurementThe provision of goods and services to realize a project are tendered and closed.
Type(s) of Tool: GuidelinesOperationalize sustainability principles, less specific than Benchmarks or Rating Systems.
Organization: The World Bank Group

The book provides guidance on the recent developments in Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) and the application of CBAs to policies or projects that either explicitly aim for environmental improvement or affect, in some way, the natural environment as an indirect consequence. It mainly emphasizes that social benefits must exceed social costs. Next to assessing more recent advances in CBA theory, it is a primary objective of the book to identify how specific developments illustrate key thematic narratives with implications for practical use of environmental CBA in policy formulation and appraisal of investment projects. 

Sector(s): Urban Planning, Natural Infrastructure
Lifecycle Phase(s): PrioritizationAuthorities decide which projects to realize and how to allocate resources., Project PlanningGeneral strategy for a project’s delivery is developed.
Type(s) of Tool: GuidelinesOperationalize sustainability principles, less specific than Benchmarks or Rating Systems., Economic / Financial ValuationsAnalyses the economic/financial value and risks related to projects.
Organization: OECD

The FAST-Infra Label is a globally applicable labelling system designed to identify and evaluate sustainable infrastructure projects, with the overarching objective of supporting infrastructure and creating a liquid asset class. It aims to enable all market players, including developers, operators, and investors to show the positive impact of an infrastructure asset, and attract investors seeking assets which positively contribute to sustainable outcomes. A key motivation behind the FAST-Infra Label is not to reinvent the wheel, but to build on existing standards, frameworks, and taxonomies to create a comprehensive framework and set of sustainability criteria that takes into account best practices and evolves with changes in the market. To account for this, the label is based on an extensive mapping against 25+ leading standards, frameworks, and principles in the market.

Sector(s): Tools applicable to all sectors
Lifecycle Phase(s): Project PlanningGeneral strategy for a project’s delivery is developed., Concept DesignTechnical experts broadly outline the project’s basic characteristics., ProcurementThe provision of goods and services to realize a project are tendered and closed., Detailed DesignTechnical experts further elaborate the Concept Design., ConstructionThe asset is constructed in line with design, budget and timeline., Operation and MaintenanceInfrastructure assets are managed and maintained during their use time.
Type(s) of Tool: Rating SystemsProvide quantifiable sustainability ratings and / or certification for projects or assets.
Organization: Fast-Infra Group, Global Infrastructure Basel Foundation, Bloomberg L. P.

Women and girls are among the most affected by climate change, yet lacking data often result in gender-blind local climate action and policies. Her4Climate is centred on the knowledge and capacities of women in urban areas. The participatory tool provides a framework for assessing women’s exposure, sensitivity and capacity to respond to climate change in cities in 3 dimensions: (1) Health and Wellbeing, (2) Built and Natural Environments, (3) Governance and Decision-making, and aims at promoting their participation and agency in the design and management of urban climate adaptation initiatives and plans.

Sector(s): Urban Planning, Energy, Transportation, Water and Sanitation, Food Systems, Health, Buildings
Lifecycle Phase(s): Enabling EnvironmentConditions that enable the integration of sustainability practices (regulation, laws, frameworks etc.)., Strategic PlanningPublic authorities identify the needs and long-term vision for infrastructure development., PrioritizationAuthorities decide which projects to realize and how to allocate resources., Project PlanningGeneral strategy for a project’s delivery is developed., Concept DesignTechnical experts broadly outline the project’s basic characteristics.
Type(s) of Tool: Project Preparation ToolsHelp public authorities manage sustainable project preparation processes., Impact AssessmentsEvaluate the impacts of assets or policies on the environment and local livelihoods.
Organization: Cities Alliance
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