Impact Report – 2023
The winds of change are blowing, and our sector is raising its sails. Over the past three years, the interconnection and interdependence of our systems, value chains and communities has been bared through cumulative shocks and stressors. The global profile of risk severity over the ten-year horizon, reported by the World Economic Forum, is again spread across environmental and social considerations. As a result, sustainability is becoming a business imperative, with actions, outcomes and impact being operationalised beyond reporting. Purpose is underpinning strategy and policy; and implementation is defined by outcomes and integrity.
Next to pace and scale, the most valued practice is collaboration. It means different things to different people. For the Council and our members, collaboration is characterized by relationships founded on respect, and difference is expected, acknowledged and embraced. Collaboration occurs when many engage to overcome challenges and achieve outcomes that are bigger than those that can be achieved alone. The evidence base for this new order of sustainability leadership is apparent in each chapter of this Impact Report. The assured outcomes that are being credibly and transparently reported and validated are driving global best practice in infrastructure.
The requisites for collaboration are courage and the ability to lead from wherever you are, regardless of rank. Over the past financial year, we have seen a significant rise in the number of executives, senior leadership teams and project directors investing in sustainability and change management skills. More professionals have acquired sustainability as a core competency, and mentoring is on the RISE. Building our collective bench strength with deeper capability, new skills and more defined career paths will support our sector’s workforce to act with ambition and purpose. Sharing successes and lessons within and across teams and subsectors, will reduce the learning curve for our Thriving Industry.
The year was defined by continued advocacy for positive change that supports industry to rapidly transition to more inclusive, resilient and low emission infrastructure. In every instance, embedding sustainability early is the most efficient, effective and financially sustainable way to enable enduing impact. Our thought leadership partnerships provided more detailed guidance for achieving social value in the built environment; while Beyond Climate Positive provides a blueprint for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games to create a sustainable ripple effect; with the Council as the infrastructure assurance partner.
Working alongside key industry partners and government stakeholders, it is remarkable how our sector has mobilised on decarbonization; and through our tools and the national Infrastructure Net Zero initiative; we are ready to play our part in Market Transformation.
Infrastructure is a system of systems. At the project level, change is increasingly obvious. When shifting beyond the delivery phase through asset management and earlier to strategic and detailed planning, the complexities of elevating impact beyond asset boundaries is going to become an evolving challenge if infrastructure is to fulfil its purpose – enabling people to thrive.
Infrastructure is delivered by people for people. The ISC is powered by purpose-led people that live our values of being collaborative, dynamic and responsible. It has equally been a year of investment for our Organisational Health. This included continued implementation of technology, new product development, optimisation of and improvements to value-creating services and the continuing evolution of the ratings business model.
Purpose is anchored in action. Across our sector there is an acceleration of action that is more integrated and intentional. There is greater focus on valuing those elements of sustainability that matter the most; nature, culture and Country; and human capability and influencing skills. Our action is also more iterative because better never stops. Performance benchmarks are shifting, and we continue to see continuous improvement in sustainability outcomes. Most importantly, we value the sectors commitment to act with integrity; build trust through transparency and measure what matters on purpose and with purpose.