Lighthouse | ICE Viewpoint
Why we need to share global best practice on infrastructure policy
Sustainable and resilient infrastructure is central to achieving shared global development objectives. This includes aiming to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which are central to the ICE’s five-year plan, as well as complying with the Paris Climate Agreement.
BY ART WE MASTER WHAT WOULD MASTER US
The ICE’s most recent past president Ed McCann focused his presidential year on productivity to improve effectiveness and efficiency.
Strategic policy planning and prioritisation help to ensure the right things are being built. A well-articulated, evidence- and needs-based vision for infrastructure allows a country to identify what investment and policy measures it needs.
Well-functioning infrastructure across all sectors underpins human health and wellbeing, economic development and societal and community resilience to shocks and disasters.
But at the same time, the infrastructure we have built has enormous negative environmental impacts, which will ultimately undermine development gains.
To achieve more positive environmental outcomes, sustainability and resilience must be integrated into the planning and delivery of infrastructure from the earliest phases of the lifecycle. In fact, it needs to go beyond that and into the enabling policy environment that governs these processes.
There is a plethora of guidance, tools and other resources for integrating sustainability and resilience into infrastructure planning and development processes.
However, in many cases policymakers are unclear about which resources are available and when and how to use them.
From the ICE’s engagement with policymakers globally, we know that many economies face the same challenges across the infrastructure lifecycle: the need to unlock better procurement processes, value, social and economic outcomes, as well as address shared global challenges in a sustainable way.
But given the complexities and differences in local and national contexts, it is not always straightforward to know which approach is the most appropriate or useful in each situation. To address this uncertainty, many countries look to others’ experiences to help guide their own choices.
This is where the Enabling Better Infrastructure (EBI) programme becomes a valuable resource.
The ICE first launched the EBI in 2019. It exists to equip senior government officials and political advisors with the tools and knowledge they need to plan and prioritise national infrastructure effectively.
Navigating global challenges requires a transparent and collaborative approach. The EBI is a multifaceted programme consisting of a resource hub, guidance and case studies. It is also a community where decision makers can share first-hand insight.
“In many cases policymakers are unclear about which resources are available and when and how to use themWith the EBI, we will be reviewing the latest global best practice to create a series of lessons learned case studies. In the coming month, we will also open a consultation on how strategic infrastructure planning and prioritisation have evolved since the initial EBI guidance was first published in 2019.
On 31 May, the ICE is holding a free webinar with the UN Environment Programme exploring the policy tools like the EBI, that governments are using to strategically plan their sustainable infrastructure systems.
There will be a chance to hear how countries have implemented best-practice approaches. You can sign up for the event at https://bit.ly/3NXE34d
All of this helps the ICE’s mission: to ensure societies get the infrastructure they need and can trust it will be delivered.
- Send comments on Lighthouse to policy@ice.org.uk