Tools

The IS Rating Scheme is Australia and New Zealand’s rating framework to assess the sustainability of the planning, design, construction and operation phases of infrastructure programs, projects, networks and assets. IS evaluates the sustainability performance of the quadruple bottom line (governance, economic, environmental and social) of infrastructure development. Several manuals and resources are available, covering different phases of the infrastructure cycle, being the main ones IS Design & As Built v2.0 and IS Planning v2.0. The total score is calculated based on the points achieved in the different credits. Verification of the assessment result is undertaken by an independent third-party verifier.

The Infrastructure Voluntary Evaluation Sustainability Tool (INVEST) is a web-based self-evaluation tool to assess and enhance the environmental, social and economic sustainability of transportation projects. The tool aims to support a sustainable construction and maintenance of highways and other transportation projects to satisfy societal development and economic growth while enhancing the natural environment and reducing natural resource use. The tool offers four different modules throughout the life cycle: System Planning for States (SPS), System Planning for Regions (SPR), Project Development (PD) and Operations and Maintenance (OM). Each module is independent, measures sustainability across individual criteria and is evaluated separately.

The Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol is a framework for assessing hydropower projects against a range of twenty-four social, environmental, technical and economic considerations. The main purpose of the tool is to help hydropower projects integrate an overall sustainability view in four phases of the project lifecycle – early stage, project preparation, implementation, and operation – each with individual assessment tools. Results of assessments undertaken during a project phase have the potential to assist in defining further concrete measures to be put in practice during that phase or to inform the key decisions that would be made at the phase’s end.

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 large developments (>50Ha) (GRIHA-LD) and one for Cities. For both versions, the net impact of built environments 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 built environments on ecological cycles and surroundings.

The GRI Standards create a common language for organizations’ reporting on their sustainability impacts in a consistent and credible way. This enhances global comparability and enables organizations transparency and accountability. The Standards help organizations understand and disclose their impacts in a way that meets the needs of multiple stakeholders. Organizations can either use the GRI Standards to prepare a coherent sustainability report using a series of universal standards (GRI-101, 102 and / or 103) or refer to topic-specific standards relevant to economic (GRI-200 series), environmental (GRI-300 series) and social (GRI-400 series) aspects to report information for specific users or purposes.

GRESB Infrastructure Assessment scores and benchmarks the ESG performance of investment portfolios and infrastructure assets. The tool consists of two complementary assessments: (1) The GRESB Fund Assessment within which participating funds are scored and benchmarked against each other. A report on fund performance is published once a year in October and informs investors’ decision making. (2) The GRESB Assets Assessment evaluates the ESG management and performance of single or multiple infrastructure assets. Assets are scored and benchmarked against each other. An optional Resilience Module can be added to both types of assessments.

Green Star Communities assesses the planning, design and construction of large-scale development projects at a precinct, neighbourhood and / or community scale. The main purpose of the tool is to assess communities’ development attributes against best practice benchmarks across sustainability matters. Green Star Communities certification lasts a maximum of five years, after which the project can recertify. This allows projects to re-assess their approach, improve and be recognized for progress made in delivering on the ground. The Green Star Communities Project Inception Checklist provides guidance for early planning processes.

Autocase is a software that supports design and investment decision-making for built environments with economic metrics. The tool provides designers and project owners with a triple bottom line cost-benefit analysis for buildings and related infrastructure assets, helping to quantify and attribute dollar values to financial, social and environmental impacts of project proposals. The tool allows for comparison of multiple design goals and investment options as well as evaluation of health impacts, water and energy efficiency and renewable energy use and effects on tenants, owners and communities.

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.

GBP is a set of principles developed to promote integrity in the Green Bond market through guidelines that recommend transparency, disclosure, and reporting. The GBP recommend a clear process and disclosure for issuers, which investors, banks, underwriters, placement agents and others may use to understand the characteristics of any given Green Bond. The evaluation of the use of proceeds represents the core of the GBP, listing a selection of sectors that qualify for green bonds under the GBP such as renewable energy, clean transportation, green buildings, climate change adaptation and many more.