Infrastructure Innovations as Solutions to Environmental Challenges

About this Session

A lecture talk by Professor Spiro Pollalis, Director of the Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure, Harvard University           

The challenge of developing and delivering sustainable infrastructure at scale is central to the global sustainability movement. Both the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Agreement identify infrastructure as a key means to achieving inclusive and sustainable growth while reducing climate risks.

One estimate suggests that the world needs to invest US$3.3 trillion each year through 2030 in economic infrastructure just to keep pace with current projected economic growth. According to UNCTAD, a further US$1.1 trillion a year is required to fulfill the SDGs.  Besides the enormous challenge of financing, infrastructure projects are often planned, designed and implemented through a heavily siloed approach with minimal communication among different stakeholder groups. The lack of an integrated approach to infrastructure development thus hinders collaboration and the implementation of best practices, thus putting sustainability at risk.

UN Environment believes that innovative solutions to sustainable infrastructure – from nature-based infrastructure solutions to smart & green technology deployment and integrated lifecycle assessment – would be crucial to unlock investment, foster partnership, and catalyze actions in response to these sustainability/environmental challenges, while proper decision making will lead to longer-lasting investments.

In the run-up to the next UN Environment Assembly, themed “Innovative solutions for environmental challenges and sustainable consumption and production”, UN Environment, within the framework of the Geneva Environment Network, hosted Harvard Professor Spiro Pollalis at the International Environment House, for a stimulating dialogue on this important topic.

Speaker Biography

Prof. Spiro Pollalis is an internationally acclaimed specialist on sustainable infrastructure planning and management. Since 1986, Prof. Pollalis is the Professor of Design, Technology and Management at the Harvard Design School. He currently directs the Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, a program that engages with decision-makers to identify and understand the economic benefits of sustainability in infrastructure projects. Among other professional association, Prof. Pollalis is the Principal Investigator of the project “Gulf Sustainable Urbanism” for 10 cities in the Arab Gulf. He also serves as the co-chair of the Advisory Committee on Future Cities for the Singapore-ETH Center. In his most recent projects, he acts as the chief planner for the new DHA City Karachi for 600,000 people, currently under construction, and the concept designer of the information infrastructure in the new administrative city in Korea and the concept master plan of the redevelopment of the former Athens airport.

Prof. Pollalis has taught as a visiting professor at the ETH-Zurich, Switzerland; TU-Delft, Holland; Uni-Stuttgart, Germany; U-Patras, Greece. He received his first degree from the University in Athens (EMP) and his Master’s and PhD from MIT. His MBA in high technology is from Northeastern University. He has an honorary Master’s degree in Architecture from Harvard.

Agenda

Welcome 10:00-10:10
Fulai SHENG, Head, Economic & Fiscal Policy Unit, Resources & Markets Branch, UN Environment

Keynote 10:10-11:00
Prof. Spiro POLLALIS, Harvard University

Discussion and Q&A 11:00-12:00
Emily FRANKLIN, Economic & Fiscal Policy Unit, Resources & Markets Branch, UN Environment

Summary

On 5 September 2018, UN Environment and the University of Geneva, through the Geneva Environment Network, hosted an insightful lecture by visiting Harvard Professor Spiro Pollalis. The lecture explored the multiple dimensions of innovation in connection to sustainable infrastructure by highlighting five infrastructure innovations as key enablers for delivering the global sustainability goals.

• Tools for Measuring Sustainability
• Synergies for Sustainable Cities
• Disruptive Technologies in Redefining Infrastructure
• Digital Design and Simulation Tools
• Enabling Innovation through Procurement

Key messages from the lecture and Q&A session include:

• The finite resources on Earth are not enough to sustain the exponentially increasing population. At the same time, there is a misalignment in investment in infrastructure and soaring demand. Efficient and effective innovation is key in addressing these challenges.
• Sustainability rating tools are vital in ensuring the sustainability of infrastructure through measurement, quantification and subsequent comparison and improvement. The Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure at Harvard has developed two methodologies, the Envision® Rating System and the Zofnass Sustainable Planning Guidelines, which focus on the project and city levels, respectively.
• Essential synergies must be identified between the sub-sectors of infrastructure and such sub-sectors should be integrated in order to reduce demand for resources and formulate closed circuit and self-sufficient city systems. Hellinikon former airport of Athens, Greece and DHA City Karachi in Pakistan are illustrative case studies of a systems-thinking approach to infrastructure.
• Performance-orientated, disruptive technologies are a game changer and key component in the restructuring of infrastructure implementation. New technologies offer new possibilities and planners and designers should step away from a reliance on historical and prescriptive approaches.
• Digitalization offers a unique opportunity in infrastructure planning and design through ‘digital twin’ models, which through simulation and big data improve performance and predict potential vulnerabilities.
• The entire procurement process from project planning to completion must incorporate core sustainability principles at each component of the cycle. Early participation of professionals and consultation to the client allow the selection of the right project and were cited as crucial to the success of both the US 84 Mississippi River Bridge and the AlexRenew Nutrient Management Facility in Alexandria, Virginia.
• The presentation inspired a fruitful discussion covering strategies on the prioritization of sub-sectors of infrastructure and the capacity to scale-up to the regional level. There was also an exploration of the role of negotiated contracts in the procurement process, along with the importance of clearly identified economic benefits to sustainable infrastructure.

Videos

• First part of the discussion
  
• Second part of the discussion

Documents

• Invitation
• Presentation