Urge for Sustainable Infrastructure
Urge for infrastructure projects that are planned, designed, constructed, operated, and decommissioned in a manner to ensure economic and financial, social, environmental (including climate resilience), and institutional sustainability over the entire life cycle of the project.
The United Nations agreed on a resolution on “sustainable infrastructure” at the fourth session UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4), held 11-15 March 2019, in Nairobi, Kenya.
What is sustainable infrastructure?
The Inter-American Development Bank Group working definition of sustainable infrastructure as “infrastructure projects that are planned, designed, constructed, operated, and decommissioned in a manner to ensure economic and financial, social, environmental (including climate resilience), and institutional sustainability over the entire life cycle of the project.”
The UNEA resolution calls on Member States and all other relevant stakeholders to:
Embrace system-level approaches to the development of infrastructure,
Apply sustainability criteria in the infrastructure development process,
Enable a national environment for the promotion of sustainable infrastructure,
Build, or continue to build, technical and scientific expertise in developing countries,
Further nature-based solutions, and
Promote new or strengthen existing public-private partnerships (PPPs) and mutual exchange.
New OECD estimates suggest unprecedented levels of investment, around USD 95 trillion, are needed from 2016 to 2030 in infrastructure (energy, transport, water and telecoms), even before considering climate and pollution challenges.
The bulk of this investment will involve developing countries, including fragile states, low-income economies, and emerging economies to sustain growth and meet the basic needs generated by rapid population growth and urbanization. Developed countries will also require investments to retrofit ageing infrastructure and for mitigation and adaptation to climate change.
Venezuela alone will need as much as $80 billion over several years, in loans and investment, to restore basic functions, and embark in the process of rescue, recovery, and social, economic, and political transformation of the country once the shift to political democracy is achieved.
HSE International LLC at SPE Symposium on Health, Safety, Environment, and Sustainability, 30 – 31 March, Mexico City, Mexico.
HSE International LLC’s Managing Director Fernando Rodriguez, a member of the Conference Committee, will moderate along with Mary Beth Snodgrass (Local Contenect LLC), the following Panel: Operationalizing Sustainable Development.
Speakers at this panel will include: Juan Carlos Belausteguigoitia with the Mexico Institute of Technology, Nayelli Garcia with Schlumberger, Mark Thorpe with Torex Gold, and Karla Torrez with Shell.
Often times O&G industry discussions on sustainable development topics are focused on strategy, policy, guidelines and other key high-level statements, while often the biggest challenge for operators and service companies is implementing good international industry practices (GIIP) to achieve sustainable development. This panel will focus on operationalizing solutions to social, economic, environmental and security risks and impacts.
Panelists will share stories of their successes as well as on-going challenges and how they are being addressed. With local and international experience structuring and implementing sustainable development practices, the panelists will discuss operationalizing sustainable development in Mexico at a pivotal time: at the beginning of the country's “Apertura” and during a low oil price environment.
The SPE Mexico Health, Safety, Environment, and Sustainability Symposium: Collaboration for Future Growth, will get together operators, regulators, and new entrants to Mexico as they collaborate on how to identify and establish the best practices and protocols each has to offer to achieve sustainable, secure, and safe operations in an expanding market.
Interested in meeting with Fernando to discuss a particular topic during the symposium? Please send him a note ahead of the event to: fernando.rodriguez@hseinternational.com
For more information visit http://www.spe.org/events/lahs/2016/pages/schedule/tech_program/thursday_techprogram.php