The Hydropower Sustainability Guidelines on Good International Industry Practice have been derived through consultation with a broad coalition of industry, civil society, governments and financial institutions.
The set of 26 guidelines define expected sustainability performance around a range of environmental, social, technical and governance topics relevant to hydropower activities.
The guidelines are governed by the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Council, whose 100 members include representatives of organizations such as the World Bank Group, the Inter-American Investment Corporation, Women for Water Partnership, WWF, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Norwegian Agency for Development, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs and the International Hydropower Association (IHA).
Richard Taylor, Chief Executive of IHA, said, “The publication of the guidelines is a major landmark for the hydropower sector. They are a much-needed reference document, as they set out what constitutes good practice in processes and outcomes for sustainable hydropower.”
Roger Gill, Chair of the Council’s governance committee, said the guidelines should “demystify what is required to advance sustainable hydropower.”
Aligned with standards developed by the World Bank, International Finance Corporation, and the Equator Principles group of banks, the guidelines are hydropower-specific and designed to support assessments of project performance using the Council’s internationally recognized Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol and ESG Gap Analysis Tool.
Developed for a range of stages in the planning, development and operation of a hydropower project, compliance with each guideline can be specified in commercial contracts between financiers and developers, and developers and contractors.
Lesha Witmer, Advocacy Lead for the NGO Women for Water Partnership, a member of the Council’s governance committee, said the new sustainability guidelines are “an important tool” for developers as well as governments, environmental organizations and local communities.
“It is extremely important to have good guidance and examples on how to sustainably use water for energy - and energy for water - adhering to implementation of Sustainable Development Goals 6 and 7. The guidelines on good practice are a contribution to do just that,” Witmer concluded.
