Infrastructure is one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss. For example, 95% of
deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is within 5 km of a road. Infrastructure also
contributes approximately 79% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with most
associated with energy, buildings and transport.
There is increasing recognition that the two greatest challenges of our time –
climate change and biodiversity loss – cannot be meaningfully addressed without a
fundamental shift in how we conceptualise, design and construct our infrastructure.
This brings to the fore the question: can we develop our infrastructure in a way that
supports and restores ecosystem health and biological diversity, helps our societies
adapt to climate change and enables our journey to net zero?
