The Guidelines provide practical support for solar and wind energy developments by effectively managing risks and improving overall outcomes related to biodiversity and ecosystem services. They are industry-focused and can be applied across the whole project development life cycle, from early planning through to decommissioning and repowering, using the mitigation hierarchy as a clear framework for planning and implementation. The mitigation hierarchy is applied to direct, indirect and cumulative impacts. An in-document Annex contains 33 case studies across the three technologies, and an additional separate annex provides additional resources to mitigate impacts associated with solar and wind energy.

The Adaptation Principles offer a guide to effective climate change adaptation, containing hands-on guidance to the design, implementation and monitoring of national adaptation strategies, showing that each country needs to tailor adaptation actions to its specific needs and priorities. To guide this process, the Adaptation Principles offer concrete and practical tools: Screening questions to identify the most urgent and effective actions, toolboxes illustrating common datasets and methodologies to support decisions, indicators to monitor and evaluate progress, and case studies on how the COVID-19 pandemic influences priorities in taking effective adaptation action.

ThinkHazard! is a web-based tool to analyze the risks of natural hazards (floods, wildfires, earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, water scarcity, extreme heat, tsunamis and cyclones) at national, regional and local level for all countries around the world. The tool provides a simple overview of different hazard levels for any given area and delivers recommendations and guidance for adaptation and safety, including for project design and planning. ThinkHazard! also highlights how each hazard may change in the future as a result of climate change.

The International Good Practice Principles for Sustainable Infrastructure provide globally applicable guidance on the integration of sustainability throughout the entire infrastructure lifecycle, focussing on the “upstream” project level. They help high-level policy- and decision-makers in governments create the enabling environment for sustainable infrastructure that is needed to achieve the SDGs and the Paris Climate Agreement. The ten principles emphasize the importance of infrastructure approaches that respond to service needs and demands, address sustainability the earliest possible in the planning process, integrate all aspects of sustainability as well as relevant governance frameworks and different infrastructure systems and sectors across time and space.

The African Development Bank’s Environmental and Social Assessment Procedures (ESAP) support the integration of environmental, climate change and social considerations in projects and programs of the Bank and its borrowers. The ESAP describe the assessment procedure for different project types and across the full lifecycle from country programming to post completion. Thereby, the ESAP support decision-making and improvement of project results, ensuring that Bank-financed operations conform to the requirements laid out in the operational safeguards (OS) and are thus sustainable.

The National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) is a performance-based environmental impact rating system for existing buildings. Based on the analysis of real data, the tool allows to understand the environmental performance of any building – from offices over hotels to hospitals, from retail establishments over data centers to apartment buildings. The assessments are undertaken by independent assessors and audited by the government. Thereby, the tool facilitates smart and informed environmental decision making of developers, asset managers, and even tenants.

The WELL Building Standard assesses and rates the performance of buildings in delivering spaces that enhance human health and wellbeing. Thereby, the tool aims to support buildings and organizations in delivering more thoughtful and intentional spaces by setting performance standards for design interventions, operational protocols and policies and a commitment to fostering a culture of health and wellness. The tool rates buildings’ performance using individualized, point-based scorecards depending on the use and occupational structure of the building (owner-occupied or rented).

The Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool (WMOST) is modelling tool that supports decision-making in integrated water management at the local or small watershed scale. The tool models the environmental effects and costs of management decisions at the watershed context, considering water flows and quality. WMOST serves to screen a wide range of potential water resource management options for their cost effectiveness, environmental and economic sustainability, including consideration of different climate scenarios. A theoretical documentation report and a user guide support application.

VELMA is a computer software model that helps improve the water quality of streams, rivers and estuaries by making better use of both natural and engineered green infrastructure that help reduce water pollution. The tool assesses different green infrastructure options for controlling the fate and transport of water, nutrients and toxics across multiple spatial and temporal scales, taking into account present and future climate scenarios. VELMA furthermore addresses longevity and maintenance issues for the identified solutions, depending on contaminant loads, soil properties and climatic changes.

LEED for Neighborhood Development is a rating system that helps create and certifies more sustainable and well-connected neighborhoods, looking beyond the scale of buildings and considering entire communities. The tool aims to encourage the (re-) development of communities that limits the expansion of development footprints and reduces social and health costs through measures such as improved connectivity and reduced vehicle use. There are two different options available for new developments (LEED ND: Plan) and existing neighborhoods (LEED ND: Built Project). A prerequisite review and a recertification option are available.