The Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC) has introduced a new digital tool to help Australian and New Zealand infrastructure projects navigate sustainability changes and ensure their assets are sustainable.
IS Essentials is a transformative addition to the ISC’s globally recognised IS Rating Scheme. This scheme consists of third-party assured rating tools that assess the social, cultural, environmental and economic performance of infrastructure assets throughout their life cycle.
Specifically designed for smaller infrastructure projects valued between $5 million and $100 million, IS Essentials aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It aids government agencies, private asset owners and investors in measuring, improving and reporting on the social, cultural, environmental and economic performance of their projects.
ISC acting CEO Patrick Hastings highlighted the significance of this tool in advancing the sector’s sustainability efforts, noting that 80 per cent of infrastructure investment in Australia is directed towards projects valued under $100 million.
“These tend to be projects that are closely tied to communities, such as energy generation, water treatment plants and road projects, which have the potential to deliver more for the communities they serve than just the basic utility of the asset,” said Hastings.
“We want to support project and asset owners [to] recognise this, help them respond and excel in their delivery, noting IS Essentials will not only enable them to start on this journey more effectively, but accelerate it.”
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Given the legislative requirements, the national and global adoption of carbon accounting standards and the increasing pressure on organisations to collect, record and report their sustainability efforts, the ISC aims to ensure that those delivering vital infrastructure projects receive the support they need to do so efficiently and effectively.
“IS Essentials is designed to scale according to both the size of the asset and the ambition of the organisation, while also providing a roadmap to transform their systems and processes so that these practices become business-as-usual,” said Hastings.
IS Essentials has undergone rigorous testing, supported by 26 pilot projects across Australia and New Zealand, along with the Westpac New Zealand Government Innovation Fund. Maritime Safety Queensland participated in the pilot project through its program of works to replace 30 maritime beacons in the shipping channels from Cairns to Weipa in north Queensland.
Amanda Scarpato, director of the Maritime Program Management Office for Maritime Safety Queensland (Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads), noted that working with IS Essentials became more than just a one-off “tick”.
“By working with IS Essentials, we challenged many of our business-as-usual decisions to deliver safer, more sustainable infrastructure,” said Scarpato. “We can now take the IS Essentials principles and apply them to other infrastructure projects.”
Hastings emphasised that this shift in mindset and practice will not only accelerate the decarbonisation of assets but also drive better outcomes for communities.
“Sustainability needs to be a business priority,” said Hastings. “It’s about setting strong foundations and investing in the future, not just for the organisation itself, but the infrastructure assets and networks being delivered and for the communities we’re operating in.”
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