{"id":7640,"date":"2025-12-11T17:09:42","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T13:09:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bakhvihpp.com\/?p=7640"},"modified":"2025-12-11T17:09:42","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T13:09:42","slug":"bakhvi-hesi-garemos-datsva-da-sotsialuri-sakithkhebis-mmarthveloba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bakhvihpp.com\/en\/bakhvi-hesi-garemos-datsva-da-sotsialuri-sakithkhebis-mmarthveloba\/","title":{"rendered":"Bakhvi HPP \u2013 Environmental Protection and Social Governance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pierre Biedermann \u2013 International Expert on Environmental and Social Issues, Founder and Principal Expert at Alpage SARL (France) <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

International expert in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Pierre Biedermann spoke with us about how the principles of environmental, social and governance are being integrated into the daily operations of the Bakhvi Hydropower Plant project during its construction phase.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe list of specific obligations for the Bakhvi HPP project was defined as early as the planning stage. These obligations are structured across the implementing company, the contractor, and the subcontractor levels \u2014 a structure we refer to as the \u2018contractor chain.\u2019 The commitments imposed by the investor on the implementing company are reflected in all agreements with the implementation team, while the implementing company, in turn, incorporated these requirements into its contracts with the contractors. Consequently, every party involved in the project operates in accordance with both the national legislation of Georgia and the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). When it comes to implementation, monitoring is the key element. On-site, there are occupational health and safety specialists, as well as environmental and social experts, who supervise ongoing operations daily to ensure that all obligations are being fulfilled effectively. From a legal and regulatory perspective, particular attention within the Bakhvi HPP project has been given to such issues as soil management, erosion control, air quality, water quality, and other related factors \u2014 what we define as \u2018physical impacts.\u2019 At the early planning stage, it was identified that the requirements of local environmental legislation were less stringent than those demanded by the investors\u2019 standards. To comply with the latter, the project team engaged international-level experts. Biodiversity studies conducted within the project area revealed several species of notable importance for the conservation of Georgia\u2019s flora and fauna. This finding prompted the development of specific mitigation measures for certain species. For instance, special measures were designed for the Caucasian salamander and various reptile species present in the region \u2014 actions that were not required under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) obligations. According to existing legislation, engagement with stakeholders was required only during the scoping and EIA phases. However, since the project adheres to the IFC\u2019s environmental and social standards, the need for additional mechanisms arose \u2014 such as the implementation of a Stakeholder Engagement Plan and the introduction of a door-to-door communication approach. These additional measures aimed to ensure broad and inclusive public participation, as well as to establish accessible platforms where citizens could freely ask questions or express their views. This approach was designed to strengthen transparency, accountability, and trust throughout the project\u2019s implementation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watch the video here:<\/p>\n