Six takeaways from the OECD Infrastructure Forum on Infrastructure Governance
OECD Infrastructure Forum on infrastructure governance bringing together senior policymakers, investors – public and private – and experts from around the world
This year’s OECD Infrastructure Forum centred on infrastructure governance bringing together senior policymakers, investors – public and private – and experts from around the world to explore how new and existing infrastructure can adapt to the challenges of a changing world. Discussions focused on how to deliver sustainable, trusted and resilient infrastructure under the mantle of “Roadmap to 2050” and how changes in governance, policy and targeted investment are needed to get there.
The session started with a look back at the success of the Blue Dot Network Certification launched in April last year, which recognises projects that meet the highest standards for sustainability, resilience, and transparency. Investors deemed the creation of a common certification as a positive step towards building investor confidence and mobilising capital, especially in emerging markets. You can read more about the Blue Dot Network here.
This preceded a discussion on how infrastructure governance can be improved to accelerate investments, and what’s now needed to deliver future-ready infrastructure.
Six takeaways
1. Governance reform is crucial
The conference made clear that infrastructure governance systems must evolve. Stronger project selection, better prioritisation, and alignment with long-term goals like the UN SDGs and the Paris Agreement were all identified as areas where progress is needed. Attendees called for governance models that are more agile, transparent, and forward-looking, addressing future scenarios that may occur with the increase in climate-related events and societal challenges that could impact infrastructure needs.
2. Scale green infrastructure quickly
The urgency of delivering climate-aligned infrastructure was a central theme throughout the event. Speakers highlighted the need to overcome common bottlenecks from long permitting and planning processes, to regulatory hurdles and skills shortages, to policy uncertainty. Innovative financing models and guarantees as well as regulatory reform were flagged as essential to unlock investment and drive project delivery at speed.
3. Modernisation of existing infrastructure is critical
With many governments facing tight fiscal constraints, optimising existing assets came under the spotlight. From repurposing underused infrastructure to smarter asset management, delegates explored how demand-side strategies and digital tools can extend asset life and improve efficiency without the need for major capital outlay.
4. Private investment is critical for building resilience
Mobilising private capital is a central enabler of delivering future-ready infrastructure. Governments were urged to create clearer pipelines, reduce policy uncertainty, and build stronger institutional frameworks to attract investment. With adaptation of existing infrastructure thrown under the spotlight, further discussion centred on the need for promoting blended finance and de-risking mechanisms.
The message was that unlocking long-term capital will require both innovation and partnership, with one speaker discussing the need for greater coordination between the public, private and civil society actors to address infrastructure needs collaboratively and create buy-in to future strategic planning.
5. Public trust is a strategic asset
Building trust through community engagement featured prominently. As infrastructure projects can often face local resistance, examples were shared of how early, meaningful engagement – particularly around projects like wind farms and mass transit – can shift the conversation and strengthen support. Transparency and inclusivity were flagged as key ingredients, along with the need for governments to be clear with the public about the needs and costs of delivering future-ready infrastructure.
6. Resilience must remain a central consideration
As climate risks intensify, integrating resilience into infrastructure planning is deemed to be essential. Discussions focused on how to ensure fair cost-sharing to build resilience and how to incentivise development away from high-risk areas. Participants reiterated the need for resilience to be better embedded in policy and investment decisions from the outset.