The Social Performance Index (SPI): Assessing and monitoring community well-being through energy sector investments

While the positive impacts of renewable energy for people and the planet are widely recognized, the direct contribution of local renewable energy projects to local community well-being has received limited attention. And while the Paris Climate Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development have been rightfully celebrated as global milestones for securing livelihoods and opportunities now and in the future, they lack societal ownership and traction in local communities, who are decisive in supporting and driving the necessary sustainability transformation. In this paper, we introduce the Social Performance Index (SPI) for energy sector investments as a tool to systematically assess, monitor, compare, and communicate the social performance of energy projects on the well-being of communities and their members. By social performance of energy sector investments, we mean direct and positive social impacts on the well-being of individuals and communities during the development and implementation of energy projects and their access to locally generated energy, either in a monetary or a non-monetary way.