Sustainable Infrastructure and the IS Rating Scheme by ISCA
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What is the Infrastructure Sustainability Council’s IS rating scheme?
The Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA) is a member-based, not-for-profit peak body operating in Australia and New Zealand with the purpose of enabling sustainability outcomes in infrastructure. ISCA seeks to promote infrastructure sustainability through the development and operation of the Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) rating scheme.
The IS rating scheme is a comprehensive ISCA rating system for evaluating sustainability across the planning, design, construction, and operational phases of infrastructure programs, projects, networks, and assets. IS evaluates the sustainability performance of the quadruple bottom line (Governance, Economic, Environmental and Social) of infrastructure development.
The Infrastructure Sustainability Council’s IS rating scheme aims to:
- Provide a common national language for sustainability in infrastructure.
- Provide a framework for consistent application and evaluation of sustainability in tendering processes.
- Help in scoping whole-of-life sustainability risks for projects and assets, enabling smarter solutions that reduce risks and costs.
- Foster efficiency and waste reduction, reducing costs.
- Foster innovation and continuous improvement in the sustainability outcomes from infrastructure.
- Build an organisation’s credentials and reputation in its approach to sustainability outcomes.
Source: ISCA
Support to achieve an IS Rating
We have two accredited Infrastructure Sustainability Accredited Professionals (ISAPs) on our team, Director Hannah Meade and Senior Consultant Juliana Bedggood who assist businesses to successfully navigate the IS process and achieve an IS rating.
ISAPs are accredited to:
- Explain the key concepts and costs and benefits of the IS rating scheme.
- Prepare an IS rating scheme strategy and implementation plan.
- Identify key components of the IS rating process to complete a self-assessment for a registered rating.
- Define a base case and complete a base case proposal ready for verification.
- Find key information in the IS Technical Manual.
- Interpret IS categories and credits and describe appropriate evidence for the pursuit of a certified IS rating.
Additionally, we can assist with IS Rating Project Management, working closely with Assessors to guide the project teams through the IS rating process, including providing strategic advice; liaising with ISCA; organising and submitting all evidence and documentation; as well as building organisational capacity.
Our infrastructure sustainability experience
Our depth of experience in the infrastructure sector, in addition to our expertise in environmental and social sustainability, means our team has the knowledge and capability required to achieve success on a wide range of industry projects.
We’ve been engaged by Federal and State Government departments for a range of technical and strategic projects, including emissions assessments of infrastructure, construction, vehicles, and equipment, along with relevant emissions reduction options and business cases. Other infrastructure sector experience includes working with organisations such as Lendlease, Fulton Hogan, and John Holland on climate risk and Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) workshops; emissions reporting under National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme (NGERS) and the National Pollutant Inventory (NPI); and energy auditing and reduction strategies.
As infrastructure is such a vital part of how we interact as a society, ensuring infrastructure is managed in a sustainable way, is important for its contribution to sustainable outcomes and its symbolic role in a greater move towards sustainability.
Contact us for help with your IS Rating
We’d love to help on your journey to achieve your ISCA Rating and become IS certified. If you would like to discuss how our team can assist you or your company in achieving an IS rating for your current or future projects please get in touch.
Our ISAP accredited team
Director – Hannah Meade
Hannah is an Infrastructure Sustainability Accredited Professional and a qualified engineer with more than 15 years’ experience in energy, environment, and strategic consulting. Hannah adopts a strategic and collaborative approach to assist clients in the identification of practical efficiency improvement actions for their business; assists in developing the business case; implementing; monitoring and verifying improvement actions.
Principal Consultant – Juliana Bedggood Juliana is a certified Infrastructure Sustainability Accredited Professional who works on a range of projects including carbon emission profiling, emission reduction strategies, feasibility studies and business cases for a range of sectors and local government. Juliana is completing her PhD which involves close interaction with local government councils to capture their broad role in the built environment and how they can motivate construction supply chains to adopt environmentally sustainable practices beyond minimum standards.