If we’re to make any headway in dealing with the environmental crisis engulfing our world, we will need to take advantage of all the tools available to us. Public works are, right now, one of the most potent, able to instill wholesale changes in the economy and develop a more sustainable future.
Currently, the majority of the energy we use comes from fossil fuels – an energy source that delivers millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every day. But with a program of sustainable public works, that could all change. We could see the large-scale adoption of tidal, solar, geothermal, wind, and hydropower sooner than you might think.
What exactly are sustainable public works? Essentially, it is a branch of public works that seeks to look beyond short term economic gains and evaluate the broader, long-term impact of a significant infrastructure project. Building a new road, for instance, might help to bring new jobs to a town, but it could also increase pollution, health problems and damage local ecosystems. Sustainable public works, therefore, is all about designing infrastructure projects to avoid harming the environment.
Are you interested in the role of public works in creating sustainable communities? If so, please read the following infographic. It first defines what we mean by sustainability and then goes on to present a range of financial statistics. It then gives some examples of how public works helped to improve outcomes in specific citie and demonstrates that green investment is worthwhile. If you’d like to find out more, please continue reading below.
Infographic by Norwich University
