Alternative Energy Promotion Centre has established the Environmental and Social Safeguard (ESS) Section under its Planning and Monitoring Division and formulated the ESS Policy to ensure the identification of potential environmental and social risks and impacts associated with the projects and programs, and minimize them to the extent possible through appropriate mitigation measures. The key principle set out in the policy aims to avoid, reduce and mitigate any harm to the environment and society by incorporating environmental and social concerns as an integral part throughout project cycle.
The Renewable Energy technologies promoted by the AEPC are clean and renewable, therefore have negligible impact and risk on environment and society. However, the AEPC supported projects shall ensure the adherence to the ESS Principles set-out in the ESS Policy, which aligns with the Government of Nepal’s Environment Protection Act and Environment Protection Rule, and environmental and social safeguards performance standards of the International Finance Corporation. Moreover, the projects shall adhere to the Safeguard Policy of the development partners such as The World Bank, Asian Development Bank and KFW Development Bank.
The Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) annexed to the ESS policy requires projects to undergo assessment through four main activities; the project screening and categorization, preparation of safeguard documents, implementation of the safeguard measures and post implementation monitoring and auditing. Table 1 presents the status of the Safeguard instruments prepared for the projects implemented by the AEPC.
Table 1: Achievement Status
S. No. |
Project |
Safeguard Instrument |
1 |
Scaling Up Renewable Energy Program (SREP)
The World Bank |
Large-scale Waste-to-Energy Environmental Management Framework (EMF) Social Management Framework (SMF) Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) – 17 (GoN) Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) 23 Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) 337 |
2 |
South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) The Asian Development Bank |
Environmental Assessment Review Framework (EARF) Resettlement Plan Framework (RAF) Indigenous Peoples Plan Framework (IPPF) IEE – 8 Mini hydro IEE – 9 Solar Mini Grid |
3 |
Private Sector-Led Mini-Grid Energy Access Project (MGEAP) The World Bank
|
Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) Mini hydro Brief Environmental Study (BES) – 1 (GoN) ESIA - 2 Solar Mini Grid BES – 1 (GoN) ESIA - 1 ESMP - 4 |
4 |
Promotion of Solar Energy in Rural and Semi-urban Regions of Nepal” Project (DKTI Solar Project) KFW Development Bank |
Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) Stakeholder Engagement Framework (SEF)
|
Note: All Environmental and Social Safeguard instruments are prepared based on the requirement of the development partner except the one marked with (GoN), which are prepared based on the Environment Protection Rule 2020 of the Government of Nepal.