ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL & GOVERNANCE
Powering people, Protecting places
OUR PRIORITIES
Value for nature and people, Accountability in delivery
Our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework supports a triple bottom line approach: environmental protection, social wellbeing and financial sustainability. It helps us manage risks, track value for nature and communities, and establish clear oversight of project decisions.
Key ESG priorities for the Conservation Energy Model:
Biodiversity & habitat
Protect wildlife and sensitive habitats, rehabilitate disturbed land and strengthen ecological monitoring.
Water security
Improve reliable water access while monitoring groundwater, abstraction and water quality within sustainable limits.
Fire & climate resilience
Support firebreaks, equipment, trained teams and maintained access to improve preparedness and response.
Clean energy & carbon
Produce renewable electricity, track project emissions and estimated avoided emissions.
Community value
Create opportunities for local employment, training, education and conservation participation, while supporting local suppliers and community initiatives through procurement and available project revenue.
Governance & accountability
Establish clear responsibilities, risk oversight and transparent funding controls to support responsible decisions and accountable delivery.
MEASUREMENT & EVIDENCE
Clean power, Measurable value
How we measure value
We have developed an ESG monitoring tool which ensures our key priorities are integrated from design and monitored during operational management.
Each priority has a scope, unit, baseline, target, responsible owner and evidence requirement to support consistent monitoring and reporting.
Design & baseline
Record starting conditions for habitats, wildlife, water, carbon, employment and community priorities.
Construction
Track jobs, training, procurement, safety, disturbance, rehabilitation and infrastructure delivery.
Operations
Monitor generation, emissions, habitat condition, water, fire readiness and ongoing community value.
Portfolio
At portfolio level, we aim to assess the model’s multiplier effect: how revenue from solar generation supports additional conservation and community outcomes across partner landscapes.
WHAT WE TRACK
Practical measures, Clear evidence
Results will be assessed against defined baselines and targets
Energy & emissions
Measures: net generation (MWh), project emissions and avoided emissions (tCO₂e).
Evidence: meters, fuel records and approved emission factors.
Habitat & wildlife
Measures: habitat condition, hectares rehabilitated, wildlife incidents and patrol effort.
Evidence: field surveys, mapped records and patrol logs.
Water & fire readiness
Measures: groundwater levels, abstraction, water quality, response time and area burned.
Evidence: meters, laboratory tests and readiness inspections.
Community value
Measures: local employment, training and qualifications, local procurement, community investment and verified beneficiaries.
Evidence: payroll, contracts, training registers, invoices, approved budgets and beneficiary records.
Governance & controls
Measures: oversight reviews, corrective actions, compliance obligations, declared conflicts, procurement exceptions and grievances.
Evidence: decision records, risk registers, compliance records and grievance logs.
Conservation finance
Measures: revenue available, allocations, expenditure and initiatives funded.
Evidence: reconciled accounts and approved site work plans.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Confidence through transparent reporting
The framework is designed to connect each funded action to a defined output, outcome and beneficiary, with clear responsibilities
Establish the baseline
Record initial ecological, water, energy and community conditions before activity begins.
Track delivery
Monitor resources committed, activities completed and outputs delivered.
Report and improve
Plan annual ESG reporting on delivery, expenditure, outcomes and governance performance, with explanations of variance and corrective action.
Verify meaningful claims
Use independent review where required. Assess each outcome and review for future improvement opportunities.
FRAMEWORK REFERENCES
A consistent approach to ESG
The ESG framework draws on recognised approaches to risk management, impact measurement, governance and disclosure. These references inform current planning and will guide implementation and reporting.
- GHG Protocol
- IFC Performance Standards
- IFC AIMM principles
- GRI Standards
- IFRS S1 and S2
- OECD governance principles
- UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Zimbabwean National Standards and Environmental Objectives
WORK WITH US
Help power the future of conservation
We welcome conservation, research, community and corporate social responsibility (CSR) partners who share our commitment to responsible governance, practical delivery and measurable outcomes.
This is just the beginning of what Powering Conservation can achieve.
info@conservationenergy.org