A new scheme that will see hydropower projects around the world independently rated and certified for their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance is now open for public comment.
The Hydropower Sustainability Standard – which is due to be launched at the 2021 World Hydropower Congress in September – is an initiative by the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Council, and is supported by the International Hydropower Association (IHA). Drafts of the proposed scheme have now been released as part of a second public consultation.
Anyone interested in the future and sustainability performance of the hydropower sector is invited to provide feedback on two documents:
- Draft Hydropower Sustainability Standard, which presents the certification scheme, performance requirements, a scoring methodology and certification levels.
- Draft Hydropower Sustainability Assurance System, the supporting document which defines the process of certification, including obtaining certification, assessor accreditation, claims, renewals, appeals and other governance processes.
Comments are welcomed by 2 August 2021. Respondents are encouraged to review both documents and provide feedback via an online response form. Please note that the performance requirements are not under consultation as they are based on the established Hydropower Sustainability Tools.
Following the consultation, the Hydropower Sustainability (HS) Standard and Assurance System will be reviewed and amended where necessary.
The draft documents were developed in response to a first public consultation which ran from November 2020 to February 2021. The comments were shared with the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Council’s governance committee and a working group on the Standard.
