Climate change affects infrastructure assets and their operations in diverse ways. Slow onset events can wreak havoc over time, while extreme weather events can cause damage and disruption in a matter of days or even hours. Climate change makes infrastructure assets and operations subject to increasingly long disruptions, with growing implications. Most infrastructure assets are interdependent with other systems with a range of societal and economic functions relying on them. The failure of infrastructure can thus cause a wide range of cascading impacts.
There is a strong economic case for investing in the climate resilience of infrastructure. While climate-resilient measures can increase the lifespan of infrastructure, they also play an essential role in protecting investment returns and ensuring business continuity. Investments in climate resilience have been shown to have a net-positive impact over time.
Infrastructure for a Climate-Resilient Future offers a comprehensive account of the main policy areas that should be considered to ensure that infrastructure is resilient to the impacts of climate change. The report covers adaptation trends, planning, financing, Nature-based Solutions and multi-level governance. In so doing, it offers insights for policy makers seeking to evaluate and improve their legal, regulatory and institutional frameworks for infrastructure governance.
Achieving climate-resilient infrastructure systems requires a whole-of-government approach, combined with strong collaboration among public and private sectors, and other international and local actors. This report brings together contributions from across OECD committees to discuss how to strengthen infrastructure resilience.
The report builds on examples of international good practice from OECD members and non-member countries, as well as OECD recommendations and analysis on infrastructure. It was developed using the Organisation’s multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder, evidence- and consensus-based approach to analysis and policy advice. Secretariats involved in climate adaptation, governance, financing, development and regional development have contributed, ensuring a comprehensive approach to infrastructure in the context of climate resilience. The report features contributions from the OECD’s Environment Directorate, Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs; Public Governance Directorate; Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities; and the Development Centre.
This report was authored by Catherine Gamper, Anges Szuda (Chapters 1 and 4), Edwin Lau, Robert Addison (Chapter 2), Michael Mullan, Mamiko Yokoi-Arai (Chapter 3), Annalisa Primi (Chapter 5) and Isabelle Chatry, Courtenay Wheeler and Justin Chen (Chapter 6) under the supervision of Kumi Kitamori, with support from Virginie Marchal.
It benefited from consultation with the OECD Investment Committee, the Working Party on Finance and Investment for Environment Goals, the Public Governance Committee, the Working Party of the Leading Practitioners on Public Procurement, the Regional Development Policy Committee, the Expert Group on Multi-level Governance and Public Investment for Regional Development and the Network of Senior Infrastructure and Public-Private Partnership Officials.
The report was prepared for publication by Lucinda Pearson.