Switching to green infrastructure benefits the environment and your bottom line

Building a greener future ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

Green infrastructure The news • Investing in climate resilience. The US has achieved a major feat in the global fight against climate change. After months of tense negotiations, Congress passed a historic $1 trillion infrastructure bill with bipartisan support. The bill calls for $47 billion to help communities become more resilient to climate change, prepping them for extreme floods, fires, and storms. [NYT] • Natural infrastructure. Nature-based infrastructure is good for the ecosystem and cost-effective. Natural infrastructure—such as using mangroves to protect communities against erosion—is often less expensive to maintain than typical, concrete-based structures. That's why replacing traditional infrastructure with sustainable alternatives could save companies $248 billion annually, according to the International Institute for Sustainable Development. [Reuters] Sustainable infrastructure must be resilient to climate change, socially inclusive, technologically advanced, productive, and flexible.  Our insights • Why it matters. To keep pace with urbanization, freight-service demand, and COVID-19 stimulus plans, about $2 trillion in transport-infrastructure investments is needed annually until 2040. Only one problem: while most sectors are cutting their carbon emissions, global transportation's emissions are growing by 0.8 percent annually. For countries to attain climate neutrality, most new investment in transport infrastructure must be sustainable. • Four-dimensional solutions. As long-lived assets, transport infrastructure may be particularly affected by climate change. For instance, many airports are located near water, with a quarter of the world's 100 busiest airports situated less than ten meters above sea level. To meet high demand for transport, but in a more sustainable way, the sector needs to rethink its basic assumptions. Read our article for a road map toward building green infrastructure that considers four dimensions of sustainability. —Edited by Arshiya Khullar Switch tracks Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here. Or send us feedback — we'd love to hear from you. Follow our thinking This email contains information about McKinsey's research, insights, services, or events. By opening our emails or clicking on links, you agree to our use of cookies and web tracking technology. For more information on how we use and protect your information, please review our privacy policy. You received this email because you subscribed to the On Point newsletter. Manage subscriptions | Unsubscribe Copyright © 2021 | McKinsey & Company, 3 World Trade Center, 175 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007