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 Pearl Rating System’s Building Rating System promotes the development of sustainable buildings in Abu Dhabi. The tool encourages water, energy and waste minimization, local material use and improved supply chains for sustainable and recycled materials and products throughout the project life cycle, from design to construction. The PCRS is applicable to offices, retail buildings, multi-residentials, schools and buildings with mixed uses. The sustainability of buildings is assessed across a broad list of required and optional credits, that are adapted depending on the building’s use.

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.

SWMM is an open-source software application that can be used for single event or long-term simulations of water runoff quality and quantity. The tool evaluates gray infrastructure stormwater control strategies, such as pipes and storm drains, and is useful for comparing the effectiveness and costs of green or gray hybrid stormwater control solutions, especially in urban areas. Furthermore, SWMM allows engineers to determine the effectiveness of green infrastructure practices as low impact development controls in managing runoff. The software provides an integrated environment for editing input data and running simulations.

The National Stormwater Calculator (SWC) is a software application that allows users to analyze site hydrology for small- to medium-sized locations (less than 12 acres) in the United States and Puerto Rico. The SWC estimates the annual amount of stormwater runoff, based on local soil conditions, land cover, and historic rainfall records and including different development and control scenarios. A cost estimation module and a future climate scenario module are included. The SWC is a resource for all Rainwater Management Credits in LEED by the U.S. Green Building Council for all project types in all rating systems.