Evaluation of international sustainability certifications for road infrastructure

Abstract

The construction sector is one of the most polluting industries due to its high resource consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions. To reduce this impact, many countries have adopted sustainable practices for road infrastructure projects, which are major contributors to the industry’s footprint. Over the past two decades, guidelines, technical specifications, and certifications have been developed to promote sustainability during different phases of these projects. These initiatives mainly focus on resource efficiency, biodiversity conservation, and community well-being. This study compares and analyses how several international infrastructure sustainability certifications address the environmental impact of infrastructure projects. It also provides a preliminary evaluation of a Colombian public-private partnership road project using the Envision certification. The findings of this evaluation highlight opportunities to the project and, on a major scale to the country, to enhance sustainability in the areas of materials, pavement design, energy use, and emissions.