Podcast 1: Funding nature-positive infrastructure
Treating nature as an investible asset is a relatively new concept for finance providers, who have little research to demonstrate that green infrastructure solutions can provide reliable long-term returns. Building a convincing body of evidence will first require more big investors to commit to such projects, but few institutions seem to have resolved the complex risk/return equation that these present.
This apparent catch-22 situation is a key concern for those who are part of the ICE President’s Future Leaders scheme. In this first roundtable discussion, 2023-24 ICE President Professor Anusha Shah puts their questions about this and other funding and procurement conundrums to a panel of experts:
- Milica Apostolovic, senior sustainability and resilience consultant, AECOM
- Robert Gardner, CEO and co-founder, Rebalance Earth
- Martina Girvan, head of ecology, arboriculture and the natural community of practice, Arcadis
- Heather Plumpton, senior policy analyst, Green Alliance
- Greta Talbot-Jones, director of natural capital, Aviva Investors
If we really want to see nature restoration at scale, we’re probably going to need some regulation that drives compliance
Heather Plumpton, senior policy analyst, Green Alliance
Podcast 2: Overcoming systemic barriers to a nature-positive world
The ICE President’s Future Leaders reflect a strong appetite among up-and-coming civil engineers to prioritise green infrastructure solutions for the good of both people and the planet. Although inspirational case studies of such action have emerged in recent years, they remain relatively isolated examples. Only the widespread adoption of nature-positive projects will deliver change on the scale we urgently need, according to Professor Anusha Shah, 2023-24 ICE President.
Having explored some of the key financial hurdles in the previous roundtable discussion, she focuses here on the new regulations, standards, tools and techniques required by tomorrow’s senior engineers, if their work is to stand a chance of benefiting the natural world. She puts their questions to a panel of experts:
- Andy Barron, principal engineer (environmental specialist), Office of Rail and Road
- Fay Bull, regional director and blue-green infrastructure lead, AECOM
- Elaine Cresswell, director, reShaped Landscape Architecture
- Jennifer Laight, associate director, Arup
- Dr Bridget Snaith, lecturer in landscape architecture design practice, University of Sheffield
- Neil Strong, biodiversity strategy manager, Network Rail
We need case studies to show that a nature-based solution can be managed and maintained in a way that’s cheaper than for a traditional hard engineering solution
Andy Barron, principal engineer (environmental specialist), Office and Rail and Road
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