United Nations Environment Programme
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global authority on the environment.
- Date
- 26 September 2024
- Time
This event has now ended
Overview
The United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 5/9 encourages UN member states to collect, share, and implement best practice, tools, and experiences for improving the sustainability of infrastructure systems.
In the realm of infrastructure planning and financing, sustainable and resilient outcomes cannot be fully achieved without breaking down siloes and securing buy-in across government and other influential stakeholders including planners, designers, and financiers.
There are many tools and case studies on how to support good governance in infrastructure planning, particularly when it comes to financing and delivering sustainable and resilient infrastructure projects. That said, changing how infrastructure is governed in practice is not always straightforward. This is due to country-level differences (such as governance systems, politics, and geography), ways of working, and a disconnect in how infrastructure is planned, financed, and delivered.
At this event, co-organised by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the ICE-led Enabling Better Infrastructure (EBI) Programme, attendees will hear from senior government officials from around the world who have been able to shift how they governed more sustainable infrastructure.
Speakers will outline how countries have encouraged cooperation in infrastructure planning by breaking down silos and bringing in a wide range of stakeholders — such as ministries of finance and sectoral line ministries—to promote the setting up of bankable infrastructure projects.
During the event, speakers will reflect on the following key questions.
- How were siloes broken down across the infrastructure system, and what were the direct and indirect benefits for delivering on infrastructure needs?
- How are the realities of financing and investing in sustainable infrastructure incorporated into the planning process?
- How easy was it to identify which changes needed to be made across multiple government departments and other influential stakeholders, and how did you overcome any challenges?
- Which lessons can share with other countries wanting to break down siloes in how infrastructure is planned and delivered?
International guidance, such as UNEP’s International Good Practice Principles for Sustainable Infrastructure and ICE’s EBI principles, will be used to explore how tools shape infrastructure governance in different parts of the world.
The event will take place during the New York Climate Week. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions during the off-the-record Q&A session.
Programme
14:30 - 14:35
Introduction and housekeeping - Jim Hall, chair of the Enabling Better Infrastructure Programme
14:35 - 14:40
Welcome remarks - UNEP
14:40 - 14:50
Context-setting
- Intro to the Enable tool and Sustainable Budgeting Approach toolkit - Joseph Price, UNEP
- Intro to how the Enabling Better Infrastructure programme is working with governments - Kerry Bobbins, EBI
14:50 - 15:10
Speaker overviews
15:10 - 15:30
Moderated discussion
15:30 - 15:55
Q&A with attendees (off-the-record)
15:55 - 16:00
Closing remarks - Jim Hall, chair of the Enabling Better Infrastructure Programme
Speakers
Prof Jim Hall
University of Oxford
professor of climate and environmental risks
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Prof Jim Hall
Prof Jim Hall is a trustee of the ICE and until recently, held the carbon and climate portfolio.
He’s a professor of climate and environmental risks at the University of Oxford.
His research specialises on risk analysis for water resource systems, flooding and coastal engineering, infrastructure systems and adaptation to climate change.
Prof Hall is a member of the UK prime minister's Council for Science and Technology and is a commissioner of the National Infrastructure Commission.
He was a member of the UK independent Committee on Climate Change Adaptation from 2009 to 2019.
He led the development of the National Infrastructure Systems Model (NISMOD), which was used for the ICE’s influential National Needs Assessment and for the UK’s first National Infrastructure Assessment.
Prof Hall invented, and now chairs, the UK Data and Analytics Facility for National Infrastructure (DAFNI).
Among various distinctions, Hall was awarded the ICE’s George Stephenson Medal in 2001 and the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water in 2018.
He was a contributing author to the Nobel Prize-winning Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Haward Wells
National Integrated Planning and Programme Unit, Government of Saint Lucia
director
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Haward Wells
Mr. Haward Wells is Saint Lucian licensed architect with over 19 years of professional experience. He holds a BA in architecture, Msc. in project management and evaluation, post graduate diplomas in blue and green economy, disaster risk management and infrastructure planning.
He is the current director of the National Integrated Planning and Programme (NIPP) Unit, within the Ministry of Finance. The unit he leads is tasked with the sustainable assessment of the island infrastructure to determine current needs and future grow scenarios as well as the actions necessary for the achievement of each scenario, including the corresponding investment strategies. Mr. Wells also leads the coordination of Saint Lucia’s World Bank Financed “Unleashing the Blue Economy of the Caribbean (UBEC)” project and he is the current vice chair of the islands Central Public Procurement Board. Mr. Wells is a member of the Expert Group for the Coalition of Disaster Resilient Infrastructure’s (CDRI) Global Infrastructure Resilience Survey (GRIS).
He was the chairman of the Planning Team for the Castries Vision 2030 exercise as well as the lead local coordinator for the National Infrastructure Assessment exercise undertaken with the joint assistance of the United Nations Office for Projects Services (UNOPS) and the University of Oxford. Mr. Wells is the current vice president of the St. Lucia Institute of Architects and he also served in the capacity of senior architect at that Department of Planning and was the lead designer on the Gros-Islet and Soufriere Town Redevelopment Projects.
Joseph Price
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
policy specialist
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Joseph Price
Joseph Price is a policy specialist at UNEP, where he is part of a team coordinating the implementation of the UN Environment Assembly resolutions on sustainable and resilient infrastructure.
His responsibilities have included leading consultations and case studies, and he has overseen activities in Chile and Central Asia.
He has an international background in research and policy advice, with a focus on the politics of natural resources.
Joseph holds an MPhil in International Relations and Politics from the University of Cambridge, and a BA from King's College London's Department of Political Economy. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
Ignacio Araya Areyuna
Ministry of Public Works, Government of Chile
head of the institutional management department in the planning directorate
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Ignacio Araya Areyuna
Ignacio Araya Areyuna is the head of the Institutional Management Department in the Planning Directorate at the Ministry of Public Works.
With over 9 years of experience in infrastructure services, Ignacio has collaborated with esteemed institutions such as the OECD, ECLAC-CEPAL, UNEP, and several Chilean universities on projects related to infrastructure governance and planning, water management, transport and logistics, and sustainable development.
He holds an MSc in Climate Change, Development and Policy from the University of Sussex.
In his free time, he enjoys surfing and cooking.
Ignacio is currently leading the development of Chile’s “Infrastructure Services Masterplan 2055.”
Dr Kerry Bobbins
ICE
head of Enabling Better Infrastructure programme
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Dr Kerry Bobbins
Kerry leads the Enabling Better Infrastructure (EBI) programme at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). The EBI programme works with national governments worldwide to strengthen how they set up stable, sustainable, and investable infrastructure pipelines to meet people’s current and future needs.
Prior to this, Kerry worked in a range of policy and academic roles in the United Kingdom (UK) and South Africa to support infrastructure planning at the national, regional, and local levels of government. This involved working closely with government officials and other influential stakeholders to enhance sustainable outcomes across water, energy, and sanitation. Kerry completed her PhD in Development Planning at University College London, UK, and has a Master’s Degree in Geography from Rhodes University, South Africa.
Dr Jenifer Baxter
National Infrastructure Commission Wales
deputy chair
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Dr Jenifer Baxter
Dr Jenifer Baxter is the chief executive officer at Industry Wales, deputy chair of the National Infrastructure Commission Wales and a non-exec at Newport City Homes. Jen was previously the engineering eirector for Protium Green Solutions and chief engineer at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
Jen is an internationally recognised expert engineer advising the media and government covering all mechanical engineering subjects and specialises in energy, transport and the environment.
Jen has written several reports for IMechE, including decarbonising transport, train engines and fuels, hydrogen trains, fashion waste and gas use in the energy sector, with further short reports on Leaving the EU: Euratom Treaty as well as academic papers covering subjects as diverse as engineering out food waste, to perceptions of hydrogen futures and technological innovation systems.
Jen has a PhD from Cardiff University examining hydrogen from waste technologies, an MSc in Sustainability, Planning and EnviroEnvironmental Policy and a BEng in Environmental Engineering also from Cardiff University. Jenifer is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, a member of IOM3 and is a chartered engineer and scientist.
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