Building a Bridge to Sustainable Infrastructure: Mapping the Global Initiatives That Are Paving the Way

Abstract

Investment in infrastructure is widely recognized as crucial to promoting economic and social growth through the development of essential services and assets. As the global population grows and urbanizes, the demand for infrastructure grows with it. The New Climate Economy estimates that from 2015 to 2030, the global requirement for new infrastructure assets will be US$90 trillion, more than the value of the world's existing infrastructure stock. In 2015, the majority of countries formally adopted an ambitious framework for both sustainable development (Sustainable Development Goals) and combating climate change (Paris Agreement). In particular, 189 countries committed to specific climate-change mitigation targets through their "Intended nationally determined contributions" (INDCs). In order to align with the Paris Agreement and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, these infrastructure investments must take place through planning and development processes that consider social, economic and environmental sustainability at their core.