Hydropower Sustainability Standard 2.0: building on 5 years of impact

Hydropower is uniquely positioned to power the energy transition. Yet for decades, the sector lacked a single, shared framework for assessing and improving ESG performance. Projects operated against different benchmarks, with no consistent way to evaluate performance or define what good practice looks like. The Hydropower Sustainability Standard was created to change that: a credible, globally applicable framework defining good and best practice across the full range of environmental, social, governance, and climate issues in hydropower development.

But sustainability does not stand still. ESG expectations have evolved significantly since 2021. Financing frameworks have advanced. Climate commitments have deepened. What the sector and its stakeholders require from a sustainability standard today is not the same as five years ago, and the review process ensures that the HSS continues to evolve in line with emerging expectations and priorities.

Since its launch in 2021, the HSS has been applied to projects across four continents, establishing a common language for what sustainable hydropower looks like in practice. Following the sector’s first formal review, which brought together hundreds of stakeholders from governments, civil society, financial institutions, and industry, the revised standard is now ready.

This session marks the launch of HSS 2.0 at the world’s premier hydropower event. It will reflect on lessons from five years of implementation, present what has changed and why, and, through the voices of those applying it, demonstrate what certification means in practice for projects, portfolios, and the sector’s long-term licence to operate.

Session objectives:

• Present the revised Hydropower Sustainability Standard and explain the key changes made as a result of the global review process, including what drove those decisions.  
• Reflect on five years of HSS implementation: what certification has delivered for certified projects, their communities, and their investors.  
• Share perspectives from developers, financiers, and governments on how the standard is shaping real investment and operational decisions.  
• Explore how the revised standard strengthens the sector's ability to respond to growing ESG requirements and align with international performance standards and ESG frameworks.