Tools

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 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.

Greenroads is a rating system developed to measure and manage the sustainability of transportation projects. The rating system assesses sustainability across five core areas and twelve additional requirements for projects that want to be certified. This way, the tool aims to encourage the reduction of environmental impact and resource use of transportation projects as well as improvements in safety, mobility and access. There is a project checklist available that serves as a self-assessment to better understand green potentials of transportation projects.

The Sustainable Infrastructure Guidelines for Chinese International Contractors (SIG) are a voluntary guidance document developed by the China International Contractors Associations for Chinese enterprises engaged in infrastructure projects overseas to enhance sustainability performance across economic, social, environmental and governance aspects. The guidelines propose a broad set of sustainability indicators covering the entire life cycle from funding, planning, design, building, operation and maintenance to closure. The SIG may also serve as a tool for evaluation of sustainability on completed projects.

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.