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.

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 Hydropower Sustainability Guidelines on Good International Industry Practice (HGIIP) point out how sustainability performance for the hydropower sector should be defined and measured across a range of environmental, social, technical and governance topics. The guidelines present definitions of the processes and outcomes relating to good practice in the planning, operation and implementation of hydropower projects. As a compendium, the guidelines are a reference document for meeting the expectations of lenders, regulators, and consumers. The guidelines are complementary with the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Tool.

The DGNB System for Buildings is a planning and optimization tool for sustainable buildings. The tool evaluates the environmental, economic, sociocultural / functional, technical and process quality of projects. There are different types of certifications available across the life cycle of buildings: (1) DNGB pre-certification for new constructions, (2) DNGB certificate for new constructions, (3) DNGB certificate for buildings in use (plus a recertification option), (4) DNBG certificate for existing buildings, (5) DNGB certificate for renovated buildings and (6) DNGB certificate for dismantling. Assessments are undertaken by independent, DNGB-trained auditors. DNGB undertakes a final conformity check before the certification is awarded.

BREEAM Buildings Technical Standard is a sustainability assessment method for the building sector with individual standards for (1) New Constructions, (2) In-Use Buildings and (3) Refurbishments. The tool assesses the environmental, social and economic sustainability performance of buildings, with the aim to enhance buildings’ economic and social value whilst mitigating environmental impacts and enhancing user satisfaction. After the assessment, an independent third-party verification takes place and successful projects receive certification. A pre-approval version for planning processes is available.

BEAM Plus Buildings supports the reduction of environmental impacts of new buildings of any type (residential, commercial and industrial), while at the same time improving environmental quality and user satisfaction. The assessment can also be used when planning for a major refurbishment or alteration, including wholesale or partial conversion. The performance of buildings is rated with a point scoring that can result in a certification. A provisional assessment version and a version for existing building (BEAM Plus Existing Buildings V2.0), including a comprehensive and a selective scheme option for individual adjustments, are available.

SuRe® – the Standard for Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure is a third-party verified, global voluntary standard to drive the integration of sustainability and resilience aspects into infrastructure development and upgrade projects by providing guidance. The tool also serves as a globally applicable common language tool for infrastructure project developers, financiers and public sector institutions. Infrastructure projects wishing to undergo SuRe® certification are subject to independent third-party audits provided by an independent accredited Certification Body. After initial certification, surveillance audits are carried out annually.

The Green Building Index (GBI) is Malaysia’s recognized green rating system to promote sustainability in the built environment and raise awareness about environmental issues and responsibility to future generations. The tool provides an opportunity for project developers and owners to improve green design and construction. The GBI assessment for townships assesses infrastructure projects’ sustainability at the scale of communities or small neighbourhoods. The evaluation process consists of a Planning Assessment, a Final Planning Assessment, resulting in a pre-certification, and a Completion & Verification Assessment, resulting in a final certification. To maintain the certification, reassessments are required every three years.