The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy have formed a new collaboration, which will work on advancing practical solutions to adapt infrastructure to a changing climate, closing the resilience investment gap, and breaking down barriers to action across the globe. The collaboration is part of the recently launched International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure.
“Our climate is changing before our eyes and poses a challenge to every country around the world,” said ASCE executive director, Tom Smith. “Addressing the impacts of climate change is going to require a holistic and cross-jurisdictional approach. Civil engineers are uniquely positioned to provide the technical expertise needed to make sustainable infrastructure projects a reality around the world.”
The coalition will focus on:
- identifying, prioritizing, and better understanding the gaps and barriers for the planning, design, construction, maintenance, and operation of sustainable and resilient infrastructure;
- cultivating and unlocking the full potential of untapped partnerships and investments to reduce the impacts of extreme weather events, create sustainable and resilient infrastructure, and enable better decision-making and outcomes; and,
- identifying and outlining practical plans of action and resources for implementing strategies that achieve realistic short-term goals and have measurable, long-term effects.
Amanda Eichel, executive director of the Global Covenant said, “cities across the world have clear and concrete plans to build climate change resiliency into their infrastructure projects, but the vast majority cannot move those plans forward without additional engineering behind them. This partnership will be a monumental step forward in helping cities make their visions a reality.”