This year in Baku, ICSI demonstrated our commitment to advancing the implementation of climate resilience, sustainable infrastructure, and nature-positive engineering through numerous events and partnerships. Key sessions hosted by ICSI highlighted the transformative potential of technology in enhancing infrastructure resilience, as well as the importance of implementing the UNDRR Principles for Resilient Infrastructure to strengthen adaptive capacity globally.
While climate finance was a central focus of the conference, ICSI was also keen to draw attention to another pressing priority: the urgent need for skills and capacity building in the engineering sector to help build a sustainable, just, and resilient future.
Lastly, as co-lead for the Resilience Hub’s challenge — to build stronger, safer urban communities where everyone can thrive — ICSI also played a pivotal role in driving conversations around building resilience in cities.
We were pleased to partner with a number of organisations to deliver these sessions, including Bentley Systems, KPMG, Conservation International, and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
Beyond our hosted events, ICSI was also invited to participate in several other discussions, covering the topics of climate-resilient public-private-partnerships, systemic resilience of infrastructure networks, climate-efficient agrifood infrastructure, blue economies for coastal resilience, and more.
See highlights from our COP29 activities below:
Enhancing Climate and Disaster Resilience of Infrastructure through Technology
Co-hosted by ICSI, KPMG and Bentley Systems, this session explored the transformative impact of digitalisation and AI on climate and disaster resilience. Participants discussed innovative tools and technologies and showcased projects integrating these advancements to build socially impactful, resilient infrastructure. The event was moderated by George Karagiannis (Risk and Resilience Director at ICSI) and featured Dr. Rave Aulakh (Principal and Project Director for USAID’s Support for the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure at Miyamoto International), Rodrigo Fernandes (Director of Empowering SDGs at Bentley Systems), Justin Keeble (Managing Director of Global Sustainability at Google Cloud), and Apurba Mitra (Partner – ESG and Lead for Climate at KPMG).
ICSI was also pleased to launch the third issue of the Climate Resilient Infrastructure Report, sponsored by KPMG, at this event. Issue 3, A Focus on Technology, showcases platforms, tools and emerging digital technologies that advance climate-resilient infrastructure, as well as projects and initiatives that have incorporated them.
Building a Resilient Built Environment: A Collaborative Exploration of Measuring and Assessing Resilience
This Resilience Hub session brought together global leaders from academia, industry, and government to explore innovative approaches to resilience measurement and action within the built environment. Co-hosted by ICSI, BuildingToCOP, and the Iuav University of Venice, the session emphasised resilience as a dynamic and context-dependent concept, requiring adaptive systems that anticipate and respond to evolving challenges. Vittore Negretto from Iuav University of Venice highlighted resilience as a ‘moving target’, stressing the importance of adaptive qualities in infrastructure to cope with shifting global ecosystems. Panellists further discussed the transition from traditional risk assessments to more holistic resilience frameworks, with Jo da Silva from Arup underscoring the need to consider infrastructure’s broader economic and social contributions to community resilience.
Key takeaways included the critical role of technology and finance in resilience-building. Rodrigo Fernandes of Bentley Systems demonstrated how digital twins are revolutionising infrastructure repair and enhancing risk communication through powerful visualisations. Natalie Sinha of UBS Asset Management emphasised that adaptation measures must offer clear returns on investment to attract funding, advocating for more transparent data and policies to support resilient systems rather than isolated assets. As the conversation moves forward, participants called for integrating resilience into global financing mechanisms, ensuring that vulnerable communities and least-represented groups remain central to decision-making. The updated City Resilience Framework 2024 was launched during the session, providing cities with actionable strategies to address systemic stresses and climate challenges through a lens of social justice and nature-based solutions.
Building capacity & capability to transition to a sustainable, resilient and just built environment
Co-hosted with FIDIC, IEMA, World GBC and the WFEO Young Engineers, this side event focussed on equipping the built environment sector with the essential skills and knowledge required to meet the needs of a changing climate. Participants examined the role of inclusive, sustainable practices in fostering resilience and emphasised the importance of leveraging perspectives from both the Global North and South.
Andy Deacon, Co-Managing Director of GCoM, welcomed participants and set the tone for the session. During the event, Savina Carluccio of ICSI advanced the recommendations of our position paper: Understanding the Landscape of Global Engineering Capacity and Capability and called for governments and stakeholders to ensure that financial commitments are matched by investments in the technical expertise and inclusive practices required to deliver sustainable solutions. Cordelia Burch, Senior Manager at Engineering X, Royal Academy of Engineering gave a presentation on the Global Engineering Capability Review 2024, highlighting the urgent need for system-wide collaboration and investment in engineering capacity to reduce risks and ensure safer, higher-quality outcomes, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Stephen Richardson, Senior Impact Director at World Green Building Council presented their new project which collaborates with its global network to develop an NDC Scorecard for Sustainable Buildings, designed to strengthen government commitments, identify policy gaps, and engage stakeholders in creating national decarbonization roadmaps.
Nature-Positive Engineering: Protecting, Restoring, and Harnessing Biodiversity through Infrastructure
This event, co-hosted with Conservation International, explored the role of nature-positive engineering (NPE) in biodiversity protection. The session highlighted initiatives championing ecosystem-based adaptation and resilience, with an emphasis on the business case for nature-positive approaches. Savina Carluccio, Executive Director of ICSI, opened the event with a presentation on the Nature-positive Engineering Foresight Review, led by ICSI. The objective of the review is to define NPE, assess the current state of practice, identify future trends and gaps, evaluate implementation blockers, and develop recommendations for collective action to support long-term, impactful interventions in alignment with Lloyd Register Foundation’s mission. ICSI is currently running a global Call for Input for this Foresight Review.
Jill Hamilton (Conservation International) shared insights into Green-grey Infrastructure for Coastal Adaptation. She introduced a Coastal Green-Grey cost-benefit analysis tool, which compares green-grey and grey infrastructure for coastal adaptation to support decision-making. Priti Parikh (UCL) presented nature-based Solutions (NbS) in India and East Africa, focusing on co-producing equitable NbS in East African cities, exploring how these solutions address local needs and priorities, their impact on climate resilience and gender equity, and the barriers and opportunities for scaling up community-driven initiatives in water management. Dirkjan Douma (Royal HaskoningDHV) showcased innovative projects that integrate natural processes into infrastructure to enhance resilience and sustainability.
Moving the needle on port resilience
Dr Darshana Godaliyadde, Director of Resilience4Ports (R4P) attended #ResilienceDay at COP29. A Call to Action was launched that aims to bring global port actors together to accelerate the resilience of ports. The Call to Action is the first sectoral, action-based commitment from global port actors to address the resilience of infrastructure, operations and activities considering climate change.It calls on industry partners to undertake four key actions: understand and manage climate risks; integrate climate resilience into business models and processes; foster community focuses in business continuity; and share knowledge and experiences. The launch event showcased excellent examples of adaptation and resilience leadership.
A new report, Moving the Needle on Port Resilience, was also launched. The report showcases progress on the Sharm El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda’s Maritime Resilience Breakthroughs and details the adoption and implementation of sustainable and resilient strategies within port systems. The Port of Baku, a signatory of the pledge, emphasised the importance of the R4P Call to Action and highlighted the impact of climate change on the Caspian Sea, particularly the decreasing sea levels. The Port of Baku shared the adaptation and resilience strategies already in place to mitigate the effects of this decline. COP29 provided a valuable opportunity to bring port stakeholders together through the Call to Action, enabling the sharing of experiences and knowledge via the progress report to further enhance and accelerate the adaptation and resilience of ports worldwide.
Download the Call to Action and Progress Report below.
