Confluentia is a consortium of independent specialists, offering world-leading expertise in environmental and social consultancy for the hydropower sector.
Mission
To deliver expert environmental and social consultancy, enabling sustainable hydropower solutions that harmonise with ecosystems and benefit communities.
Vision
To be the catalyst for a future where hydropower is synonymous with environmental integrity and social prosperity, driving innovation and stewardship for water resources worldwide.
Simon Howard
Simon coordinates Confluentia. He is an independent Consultant with 20 years of experience working on the environmental and social impacts associated with energy projects. He holds a Master’s degree in Environmental and Social Policy from Oxford University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science from Edinburgh University. Simon has particular experience in the renewable energy sector having trained as a mechanical and electrical engineer with a leading London based consultancy. He went on to work for a number of years with bilateral and multi-lateral donors developing rural electrification projects in South East Asia and the South Pacific. Working for the International Hydropower Association between 2011 and 2016 Simon delivered training on the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol to 20 IHA Sustainability partners and was an Accredited Assessor for 13 Sustainability Assessments. Simon then spent 6 years at Mott MacDonald as their hydropower lead working on some of the most significant generation projects in the world, alongside some of the best environmental and social specialists and engineers in the industry. This involved completing environmental and social impact assessments (ESIA) and environmental and social due diligence (ESDD) for many hydro, wind and solar energy projects. Simon is an Accredited Lead Assessor for the Hydropower Sustainability Standard.
Joerg Hartmann
Joerg Hartmann is a consultant and owner of Sustainable Water & Energy LLC, based in Estes Park, Colorado, USA. His main interest is to contribute to a rapid energy transition, by identifying low-cost, low-carbon and low-conflict projects that enjoy broad public acceptance. Over the last 10 years, Joerg has provided independent advice for power and water companies, banks, government agencies and NGOs in over 45 countries. He works on policy frameworks and technical guidance, has led many project appraisals and assessments, and served on expert panels. He co-developed and has applied the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol to over 30 projects worldwide, as an Accredited Lead Assessor. From 2011 to 2013, he chaired the Governance Committee of the Protocol. He also works with sustainability issues in the geothermal sector, and with the Alliance for Water Stewardship Standard. From 2007 to 2011, he led WWF’s global water infrastructure work, at the policy level and through WWF’s river basin programs. From 1996 to 2007, he worked for Germany’s development bank KfW, in Eastern Europe, Latin America and as country director and chair of the water donors group in Tanzania. He holds a PhD in environmental and development economics.
Helen Locher
Helen has played a leading role in development and implementation of the Hydropower Sustainability Tools since the early 2000s, including coordinating the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Forum (2008-2010), developing training materials, and authoring the IHA’s Hydropower Sustainability Guidelines on Good International Industry Practice (2018) and How to Guide for Resettlement (2020). Helen has participated in and led hydropower sustainability assessments in Australia, Austria, Bhutan, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Iceland, India, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, South Africa and Vietnam. Helen holds a B.Sc. (Earth Science), M.Env.Sc. (Environmental Science), and PhD (Civil Engineering, on riverine interactions of regulated flows with mine tailings). Helen led award-winning social and environmental programs for Hydro Tasmania between 1997-2015, and since 2015 has delivered sustainable hydropower-related assignments as an independent consultant for the World Bank, International Finance Corporation, Asian Development Bank, Mekong River Commission, International Hydropower Association, major energy businesses, and other clients. Helen sits on several water and energy boards as a company director, and in 2020-21 served as Chair of the Hydropower Sustainability Standard Working Group. Helen has received two international awards for her contribution to sustainable hydropower: IHA’s Mosonyi Award in 2015, and Hydrovision’s International Women with Hydro Vision award in 2019.
Bernt Rydgren
Bernt has a doctorate based on soil-erosion studies in Lesotho in Southern Africa, a Licentiate and a BSc degree in Physical Geography, as well as a BSc in Hydrology, all from Uppsala University, Sweden. He has 40 years of broad experience from environmental and water-resources work in over 60 countries worldwide, working at both practical and strategic levels. ESIAs, sediment transport and hydrology/water resources-related topics are his specialties and applications have focussed on the power sector, specifically hydropower. Bernt worked for 15 years for Vattenfall, the largest power utility in Sweden, as an in-house consultant with assignments both within the organisation and consulting to other companies, developers, development banks etc. As part of his strategic environmental responsibilities for the hydropower section of the company, he was project manager for the world’s first ISO 14025-certified Environmental Product Declaration (hydropower electricity from Lule Älv, Sweden) in 1999. He was also Vice President for environmental affairs for Vattenfall’s Latin American investment company in 2000-2001. As a consultant, Bernt has carried out and/or reviewed socio-environmental and sustainability assessments in a wide variety of countries, and has also been the resident project manager for the Ruhudji Hydropower project in Tanzania in 2008-09. Bernt has been involved in 19 of the HSAP assessments, including as Lead Assessor for 11 of these. Bernt works for Sweco in Sweden.
Values
Sustainability: Championing renewable energy solutions that are ecologically sound and future-proof.
Integrity: Conducting our business with unwavering ethical standards and transparency.
Collaboration: Fostering partnerships that enhance community well-being and environmental health.
Excellence: Committing to the highest quality in consultancy, with meticulous attention to detail and innovation.
Stewardship: Taking responsibility for the protection and preservation of natural resources for future generations.
Adaptability: Embracing change and innovation to address the evolving challenges of hydropower sustainability.
History
Our team possesses over a decade of experience in shaping and applying the Hydropower Sustainability Standard (HSS). The HSS originated from a comprehensive multi-stakeholder forum, where diverse stakeholders collaboratively refined criteria to define a sustainable hydropower project.
The forum’s participants, ranged from environmental NGOs like WWF and The Nature Conservancy to social NGOs such as Oxfam and Transparency International, alongside representatives from development banks, select governments, and industry leaders, this diversity contributed to the robust Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol.
The Protocol was a precursor to the current HSS, and was implemented globally, for over a decade by our team, building unparalleled experience and expertise which is now being applied to the implementation of the HSS.
Interested?
Confluentia Consulting 