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.

Green Star Buildings is Australia’s leading rating tool for new buildings and major refurbishments. Green Star Buildings sets out the criteria that must be met to deliver healthy, resilient, and positive places for people and nature. It aims to meet current and future demands on the built environment with aspirational benchmarks for addressing the key issues of the next decade: Climate action, resource efficiency, and health and wellbeing. The tool now includes different manuals that previously certified the construction and design (Green Star Design & As Built) as well as the operational performance of buildings (Green Star Performance).

The Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) is India’s national framework for the assessment of environmental impacts of built environments with an individual version applying to new buildings and one for existing buildings (both starting at 2,500 sqm built-up area). For both versions, the net impact of buildings on quantitative and qualitative parameters is totaled and compared against a rating table, resulting in a sustainability certification. Thereby, the tool aims to support the reduction of detrimental impacts of buildings.

The Green Infrastructure Flexible Model (GIFMod) is an open-source computer-based modelling tool to evaluate the performance of urban stormwater and agricultural green infrastructure practices that aim to reduce the volume of stormwater runoff entering sewers or receiving streams and to improve water quality. GIFMod allows users to build conceptual models of green infrastructure practices to predict their hydraulic and water quality performance under given weather scenarios. It also allows for interpreting field and lab data via deterministic and probabilistic inverse modelling.

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 the future generations. The tool provides an opportunity for project developers and owners to improve green design and construction. The GBI assessment for buildings evaluates the environmental design and performance of buildings. 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.

The Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) is a performance-based system developed for rating green buildings and infrastructures. The primary objective of GSAS is to create a sustainable built environment that minimizes ecological impacts and reduces resource use, considering the specific needs and context of the Middle East and North Africa regions (MENA). The purpose of GSAS Design & Build Parks Scheme is to provide recommendations and guidance for the effective implementation of sustainability goals within park projects.

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.

The Good Practice Handbook on Cumulative Impact Assessments (CIAs) proposes a six-step process to assist private sector companies in emerging markets in identifying and managing the cumulative impacts and risks related to their business activities. CIAs analyze the cumulative impacts on valued environmental and social components generated by a planned project or activity in combination with multiple other projects, actions and activities. This way, the assessment reflects the geographical and temporal context in which the effects are aggregating and interacting. The tool should be used in combination with the IFC Performance Standards and the World Bank Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines.

The Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE) helps to understand sustainability conditions of cities across environmental, social and economic aspects. It measures the sustainability of buildings across diverse quality criteria against the environmental load defined as CO2 emissions per capita per year. The resulting sustainability qualification supports the development of effective sustainability measures. The CASBEE tool family for building scale offers a broad range of assessments for single buildings, including new constructions (CASBEE-NC), existing buildings (CASBEE-EB), renovation (CASBEE-RN) and temporary construction (CASBEE-TC), among others.

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.