Review of Screening Tools to Assess Sustainability and Climate Resilience of Infrastructure Development

The report evaluates 16 financial institutions and infrastructure standards to determine how sustainability and climate resilience are screened during infrastructure development. It finds that while environmental and social (E&S) assessments are standard, climate risk integration varies significantly. Most financial institution tools focus on the financing phase, whereas infrastructure standards like BREEAM and Envision target the design and planning phases. The review highlights a general lack of public availability for specific screening tools and a need for better integration of natural capital and regional-scale planning.

• Financial institutions generally use a two-stage process: an initial screening to determine adverse environmental and social (E&S) impacts, followed by a detailed E&S assessment for projects categorized as negatively impactful.
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) utilizes a specific web-based tool called AWARE for Projects to conduct rapid initial climate risk screening at the project concept phase, though the tool is not publicly available.
• The African Development Bank (AfDB) employs a Climate Safeguards System (CSS) consisting of four modules: Climate Screening, Adaptation Review and Evaluation Procedures (AREP), Country Adaptation Factsheets, and a CSS Information Base.
• Agence Française de Développement (AFD) uses a Carbon Footprint Tool (CFT) and a 'selectivity policy' to categorize projects by greenhouse gas emissions and exclude highly emissive projects in certain regions.
• The SuRe® Standard is a global voluntary standard that integrates sustainability and resilience concurrently, requiring compliance with 63 criteria, 22 of which are mandatory 'Safeguarding Red Criteria'.
• BREEAM Infrastructure is widely used in Europe, holding an 80% market share for sustainable building certification, and covers the entire lifecycle from planning to refurbishment.
• The Equator Principles framework is adopted by 91 financial institutions in 37 countries and covers over 70% of international project finance debt in emerging markets.
• China's Green Guidelines for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) currently consist of high-level principles rather than developed tools, with plans to establish environmental risk prevention policies within 3-5 years.
• Envision® is a holistic rating system primarily used in the U.S. and Canada that uses 60 sustainability credits across five categories, including 'Climate and Risk'.
• A significant gap exists in the planning phase of infrastructure development; most tools focus on project-level design or financing rather than regional or national pipeline prioritization.
• Many financial institutions' overarching policies are outdated and may not reflect recent international agreements such as the Paris Agreement or the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• While cumulative impacts are often mentioned in detailed E&S assessments, they are typically addressed in response to a single project rather than through wider regional natural resource management.

APA

WWF International (2017). Review of Screening Tools to Assess Sustainability and Climate Resilience of Infrastructure Development. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/94/1jkz4r8gc0_Review_of_Screening_Tools_Final_Report_SEP_2017.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Review of Screening Tools to Assess Sustainability and Climate Resilience of Infrastructure Development. 2017. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/94/1jkz4r8gc0_Review_of_Screening_Tools_Final_Report_SEP_2017.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Review of Screening Tools to Assess Sustainability and Climate Resilience of Infrastructure Development |date=27 September 2017 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/94/1jkz4r8gc0_Review_of_Screening_Tools_Final_Report_SEP_2017.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2017review, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Review of Screening Tools to Assess Sustainability and Climate Resilience of Infrastructure Development}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2017}, month = sep, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/94/1jkz4r8gc0_Review_of_Screening_Tools_Final_Report_SEP_2017.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }