Resources

Policy | Planning and Design | Financing and De-Risking

Policy (back to top)

Mainstreaming Biodiversity in the Transportation Sector

Partners of the Greening Transportation Infrastructure Development (GRID) Integrated Program came together at the United Nations 2024 Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) for the panel “Mainstreaming Biodiversity in the Transportation Sector.” Watch the recording.

Mapping Environmental Risks and Socio-Economic Benefits of Planned Transport Infrastructure: A Global Picture

The United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Mapping Environmental Risks and Socio-Economic Benefits of Planned Transport Infrastructure: A Global Picture study aimed to produce a foundational, globally consistent assessment of the risks and benefits to people and the nature of currently planned, large-scale road and rail transport infrastructure projects. Ultimately this can help to improve regional, national, and global decision-making.

COP16 Decision

The decision adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity ” added specific reference to the infrastructure sector. This is an important step by the CBD and will require countries to address the intersection of infrastructure and biodiversity more consciously during the development of their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans.

Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) provides a variety of resources on migratory species and infrastructure. It also includes decisions on infrastructure and impact assessment and a resolution on connectivity.

World Conservation Congress

At the 2020 International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress, members approved two policy resolutions related to infrastructure and connectivity: “Ecological connectivity conservation in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework” and “Wildlife-friendly linear infrastructure.” These guided the IUCN’s work on these topics for 2021 to 2024.

NBI Academy

This course was developed by the Nature-Based Infrastructure (NBI) Global Resource Centre to help policymakers, infrastructure planners, researchers and investors understand, assess, and value nature-based infrastructure. The course familiarizes participants with several tools and modelling approaches for NBI, including Excel-based models, system dynamics, spatial analysis, and financial modelling. In addition, the training presents a variety of NBI case studies from across the world.

Green Roads Toolkit

The Green Roads Toolkit is an essential collection of good practices intended to inform the development and management of sustainable and eco-friendly roads. It sets out interventions and good practices under nine dimensions including decarbonization, climate resilience, water and land management, pollution reduction, improving quality of life, conserving biodiversity, disaster preparedness, responsible sourcing of materials, and fostering inclusive growth.

Resolution Adopted by the United Nations Environment Assembly

The UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) passed Resolution 5/9 on Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure in February 2022. It promotes sustainable infrastructure to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and calls on member states to integrate the International Good Practice Principles for Sustainable Infrastructure into their national planning.

Planning and Design (back to top)

Handbook to Mitigate the Impacts of Roads and Railways on Asian Elephants

The first elephant-specific handbook to help countries reduce collisions and provide safe passage for elephants, the Handbook to Mitigate the Impacts of Roads and Railways on Asian Elephants, was coauthored by experts on elephants and transport ecology from the Asian Elephant Transport Working Group—a collaborative effort between the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Asian Elephant Specialist Group and the Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group.

International Good Practice Principles for Sustainable Infrastructure

The International Good Practice Principles for Sustainable Infrastructure, published by UNEP, support policymakers and other stakeholders in taking needs-based, system-level, integrated approaches to planning and delivering sustainable and resilient infrastructure. They provide high-level guidance to integrating sustainability across the infrastructure lifecycle, with an emphasis on strategic planning and other “upstream” phases of the life cycle.

Environmental Sustainability in Ports

The chapter on “Environmental Sustainability in Ports” in the book Sustainable Transportation and Smart Logistics introduces the concept of environmental sustainability in ports and explains how to incorporate environmental indicators into modeling and decision-making.

A Playbook for Nature-Positive Infrastructure Development

A Playbook for Nature-Positive Infrastructure Development is a strategic guide jointly developed by WWF, the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC), and AECOM, a leading global consulting engineering firm. The strategic guide provides engineers and conservationists with tools and examples needed to better integrate environmental considerations and sustainability into infrastructure projects.

Engineering With Nature: Atlas Series

Engineering With Nature: Atlas Series showcase Engineering With Nature principles and practices in action through illustrations and descriptions of constructed projects around the world.

Protecting Asian Elephants from Linear Transport Infrastructure

Across the 13 countries where endangered Asian elephants still roam, habitats and movement corridors are increasingly being fragmented by infrastructure like roads, rails, and canals. Collisions leading to both human and animal deaths are also more common. To inform a more comprehensive understanding of the issues and growing number of solutions to address impacts, the Asian Elephant Transport Working Group published Protecting Asian Elephants from Linear Transport Infrastructure.

Sustainable Infrastructure Program in Asia

The Sustainable Infrastructure Program in Asia (SIPA), is a collaborative effort between the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and its consortium partners. The program helps countries in Central and Southeast Asia plan infrastructure—like enhanced energy systems, transportation, and industry infrastructure—in a way that is better for the environment and supports long-term economic development.

Incorporating Natural Resource Safeguards in Linear Infrastructure Planning: A Compendium of Best Practice Resources

This compendium compiled by WWF and the Center for Large Landscape Conservation brings together more than 170 papers, reports, and guidelines to identify 10 essential and globally accepted best practices. These best practices provide a strong foundation for avoiding harm to people and nature, enhancing climate resilience, and promoting sustainable development.

Guiding the Future of Linear Infrastructure Development in Snow Leopard Landscapes

The Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP), an alliance of the 12 countries comprising the snow leopard’s range, formed a working group of scientists and conservationists to create guidance for how governments can integrate protections for these big cats into infrastructure development. The guidance is a crucial step in addressing the threats to snow leopards as the demand for new infrastructure continues to rise.

Addressing ecological connectivity in the development of roads, railways and canals

This technical report provides an overview of practical, feasible science-based strategies for protected and conserved areas (PCA) managers, transport practitioners, industry, conservationists and other stakeholders interested in biodiversity and ecological connectivity conservation. It identifies effective solutions that can be used in a variety of contexts around the world and promotes best practices for the various phases of infrastructure development: planning, design, construction, operations, and monitoring.

NBI Academy

Green Roads Toolkit

Financing and De-Risking (back to top)

Biodiversity and Infrastructure Investing

Biodiversity and Infrastructure Investing: How Infrastructure Investors Are Factoring Biodiversity Impacts Into Decision-Making shows how infrastructure investors and their advisors can incorporate biodiversity into investing. It explores approaches used to assess biodiversity impacts and investor rationale for considering these risks in decision-making, presenting perspectives on the outlook for further progress and where improvement is of the most value.