Reflecting on a pivotal year for ICSI
International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure (ICSI)
Our mission is to make resilience and sustainability key to every decision in the infrastructure lifecycle
As 2024 comes to a close, I am taking a minute to reflect on a pivotal year for ICSI that has seen new projects and partnerships blossom. This year, we were immensely proud to become an independent NGO and are delighted to have welcomed new staff members to our growing team. Our work has taken us across the globe, from Paris and Bonn to Nairobi, Manila, Brussels, New York, Montreal, and culminating in Baku for COP29.
Some stand-out moments from this quarter include the launch of Issue 3 of the Climate Resilient Infrastructure Report: A Focus on Technology, sponsored by KPMG and featuring over 50 exemplary case studies and initiatives.
We also hosted the first two regional roundtables as part of the Nature-positive Engineering Foresight Review in partnership with Lloyd's Register Foundation , and we have launched a call for input for experts to contribute research, evidence and case studies of NPE in action.
The Resilience4Ports Initiative has taken firm root, with 24 active stakeholders involved and nine port actors pledged to enhance and accelerate the resilience of ports from the effects of climate change.
In addition to a packed COP29 schedule, I was also delighted to take part in a G20 Social event in November, focussed on resilience in the maritime sector.
As we look ahead to 2025, I’d like to thank our many partners and supporters for their continuous collaboration and drive to advance climate-resilient infrastructure.
Wishing you all a happy holiday season,
Executive Director, International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure (ICSI)
NEW REPORT: The Climate Resilient Infrastructure Report: A Focus on Technology ⚡🏦
Launched at COP29 Azerbaijan, the report features over 50 exemplary case studies and initiatives, highlighting best-practice examples of technology applications that build resilience and sustainability. This year, the report is framed by the four resilience phases:
🔴 Prepare
🟠 Respond
🟡 Recover
🟢 Adapt
Through each resilience phase, we highlight how digital technologies can be harnessed to fulfil key global climate objectives, fostering resilience, mitigating climate risks, and supporting sustainable development. This report is a deliverable for the High-Level Climate Champions #RacetoResilience campaign and is sponsored by KPMG.
Resilience4Ports: Call to Action + Moving the Needle on Port Resilience
To mark Resilience Day at #COP29, we launched a Call to Action for the Resilience4Ports initiative that calls on policymakers, businesses, financiers, industry associations, international organisations and port operators to commit to the Adaptation and Resilience goals of the Sharm-El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda and the High-Level Climate Champions ’ Maritime Resilience Breakthroughs.
The Call to Action (pledge) is the first sectoral, action-based commitment from global port actors to address the resilience of infrastructure, operations and activities considering climate change, asking industry partners to undertake four key actions: understand and manage climate risks; integrate climate resilience into business models and processes; foster community focuses in business continuity, and share knowledge and experiences.
The pledge is accompanied by a progress report that emphasises the adoption and implementation of sustainable and resilient strategies in port systems, it provides port actors with a framework to make the right decisions and enable ports to better anticipate, withstand, and recover from disruptions, all while keeping the people that operate them safe.
Green Shipping Corridors White Book
ICSI is proud to have contributed to a new publication from AIVP and PortCityFutures that gathers complementary perspectives, discusses the foundations of Green Shipping Corridors, how they are being implemented in different regions of the world, their connection to other issues such as resilient infrastructure, and the uncertainties that remain.
Resilience4Ports Director Dr Darshana Godaliyadde has contributed a feature on Futureproofing The Energy Transition: Green Shipping Corridors Need Resilient Port Systems.
Issue 4 of Climate Resilient Infrastructure Report to focus on Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI)
We are excited to announce a partnership with the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure on the fourth edition of the Climate Resilient Infrastructure report, which will focus on Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) and will be launched at #COP30.
This report will seek to showcase how #GEDSI is critical to the development of sustainable and resilient #infrastructure. It will frame the need for better integration of GEDSI throughout the infrastructure lifecycle and explore ways for this integration to be actioned through avenues such as policy, strategy, standards and indicators.
Recent events
COP29
This year in Baku, ICSI demonstrated our commitment to advancing the implementation of climate resilience, sustainable infrastructure, and nature-positive engineering through numerous events and partnerships. Key sessions hosted by ICSI highlighted the transformative potential of technology in enhancing infrastructure resilience, as well as the importance of implementing the UNDRR Principles for Resilient Infrastructure to strengthen adaptive capacity globally.
While climate finance was a central focus of the conference, ICSI was also keen to draw attention to another pressing priority: the urgent need for skills and capacity building in the engineering sector to help build a sustainable, just, and resilient future.
Lastly, as co-lead for the COP Resilience Hub ’s challenge — to build stronger, safer urban communities where everyone can thrive — ICSI also played a pivotal role in driving conversations around building resilience in cities.
We were pleased to partner with a number of organisations to deliver these sessions, including Bentley Systems , KPMG , Conservation International , and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure .
Nature-positive Engineering Foresight Review
Regional Roundtables
The Nature-positive Engineering (NPE) Foresight Review, led by ICSI and funded by Lloyd's Register Foundation , seeks to achieve new clarity on the definition of nature-positive engineering and gain insights into the current state of research and practice in this field.
As part of this review, we are conducting a series of regional roundtables, the first two of which took place this quarter in Nairobi and Brussels.
The Nairobi Roundtable took place on 1 November, co-convened with the Global Center on Adaptation , the University of Nairobi and UNOPS . This event brought together 25 leading voices from across Africa to discuss how NPE can address two critical areas: coastal protection and adaptation, which is essential for safeguarding vulnerable communities against growing climate risks; and ports and shipping, ensuring that future development aligns with biodiversity conservation and pollution reduction goals. Expert participants discussed themes such as the evaluation of NPE benefits, development of standards and guidelines and finance for nature-positive solutions, and heard case studies on topics such as recognising the local values of coastal wetland biodiversity for sustainable economic and livelihood development in Mauritius.
The Brussels Roundtable, hosted by the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) , took place on 5 December, co-convened with GCoM and United Nations University . This event brought together 23 leading voices from across Europe and focused on a deep-dive of ports and shipping, but also offshore renewable energy (ORE) to harness the potential for a nature-positive turn in the increasing development of ORE in line with global targets to triple renewable energy generation by 2030. During breakout groups, experts discussed matters such as market incentives for NPE, new technologies and sources of data, upscaling of current pilots and universal NPE solutions. Presentations on the day included case studies such as the Port of Antwerp’s Ecological Infrastructure project.
➡ Read more about the NPE Foresight Review here.
Call for Input
Experts needed! As part of this Foresight Review, we are seeking research, evidence and case studies of NPE in action.
We're requesting:
ICSI at the G20 Social
On November 14, ICSI was delighted to participate in the G20 Social in Rio, which aims to increase the participation of non-state actors in the activities and processes of the #G20. The session, entitled Nature-positive and Resilient Coastal Zones, explored how non-state actors are leading progress in integrating resilience into the maritime sector by presenting inspiring multi-stakeholder initiatives in the region. It was co-hosted by the High-Level Climate Champions , Governo do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, ICSI and the United Nations Global Compact Ocean Stewardship Coalition. Savina Carluccio (Executive Director, ICSI) was invited to present on the topic of Nature-positive Engineering.
Strengthening Systemic Resilience through NbIS
ICSI was pleased to host the third webinar in the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure ’s DRI Dialogue series. We brought together engineering and nature experts to discuss how Nature-based Infrastructure Solutions (NbIS) enhance resilience to climate change, presenting real-world examples of cost-effective solutions that outperform traditional grey infrastructure in sustainability and community resilience.
Many thanks to our speakers Prof. (Dr) Anusha Shah of Arcadis and Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) , Emily Corwin of San Francisco Estuary Institute and Julie Greenwalt of Cities Alliance .
Senior Director, Resilient Cities and UK Climate Adaptation Lead- Arcadis, Immediate Past President ICE, Non-Exec Director- Met Office, Trustee Green Alliance ,Keynote Speaker
4dWell done Savina Carluccio, Katie Momber and team 👏
Regional Director Strategic Sales & Marketing, MEI | Coastal Resilience & Ocean Sciences
4dCongrats Savina Carluccio and team! 👏🏻