As Australia faces increasing pressures from climate change, urbanisation and economic transition, the infrastructure sector is being called upon to deliver not only resilience but also leadership in sustainability.
The Infrastructure Sustainability Council’s (ISC) newly released Strategy 2030 outlines a clear and ambitious path forward for sustainability in the sector – one that builds on tangible outcomes delivered over ISC’s history.
The ISC is also set to unveil its 2025 Impact Report, the latest of its annual publications that track and communicate the measurable outcomes of the ISC’s work.
It showcases the collective impact of infrastructure projects certified under the IS Rating Scheme and highlights how sustainability is delivering real-world benefits, such as through reduced emissions, avoided costs, and improved industry capability.
This evidence base plays a crucial role in shaping ISC’s Strategy 2030. While the strategy was developed primarily through consultation with members and stakeholders, the insights and data from recent impact reports helped identify where ISC’s tools and services are driving the most value, and where there is room to evolve.
As ISC Chief Executive Officer, Toby Kent, explains, the report “communicates to our various stakeholders the value of what we do, and that value, above all, is measured through the impact that we make across social, environmental, economic and governance domains.”
Demonstrating value through measurable impact
For ISC and the infrastructure sector 2024/25 was a significant year. A total of 29 As Built projects were certified across sectors including rail, road, water and energy. These projects achieved a combined reduction of nearly 3.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e), with estimated avoided costs of more than $1.2 billion, primarily through energy savings, material efficiency and emissions reduction.
“We’ve done work to better articulate the financial value of designing and operating sustainable infrastructure,” says Kent.
“What we’re seeing is significant benefits in relation to avoided materials, improved performance, and reduced biodiversity impacts. These are now more clearly recorded and understood.”
These insights reflect ISC’s unique role, not just as a certifier, but as a platform for market transformation, influencing how sustainability is embedded into infrastructure planning, design and delivery.
Strategy 2030
While the Impact Report reflects on the past, the Strategy 2030 is firmly future-focused. Developed through extensive consultation with ISC members, partners and stakeholders, and informed by the findings of previous impact reports, it responds directly to the evolving infrastructure landscape.
“More than historical impact reports, the new strategy has been driven by a deep engagement with different users of our tools and services, understanding where a broad range of constituents see the most value in our work,” says Kent.
The strategy is built around four strategic pillars:
- Industry insights and knowledge – transforming the ISC Ratings process into a source of value-adding information, helping the sector access actionable, data-driven insights.
- Market and Community Confidence – ensuring consistency and rigour in verification to maintain trust and reliability in sustainable infrastructure.
- Communities of Practice and Networks – catalysing innovation and sharing best practice by bringing together all parts of the infrastructure ecosystem.
- Public Voice and Advocacy – amplifying industry positions on sustainability through collective advocacy and policy influence.
Underlying these pillars are three key enablers: a commitment to being partnership-led, digital-first, and people-powered.
Tools for transformation
A cornerstone of the strategy’s implementation is the evolution of ISC’s tools and processes. This includes the rollout of the IS v2.2 Design & As Built Tool, released in October 2025, which helps project managers verify that they meet best-practice sustainability standards throughout the design and construction phases, to deliver economic, social, environmental, and governance benefits.
“We’ve taken significant efforts to ensure the sustainability requirements remain unchanged, but we’ve made the process much easier,” says Kent.
“It’s more efficient, involves less duplication, and reduces the administrative burden, especially for smaller projects.”
In tandem, ISC has introduced a new model for independent verification. Where previously two external verifiers were used, the new system incorporates one external verifier supported by an in-house quality control function.
According to Kent, this will “reduce uncertainty for the users of our ratings” and ultimately cut down on unnecessary over-investment sometimes occurred due to uncertainty around meeting verifier expectations.
Scaling for a changing landscape
ISC’s strategy recognises that the infrastructure pipeline is evolving.
“We’ve probably passed through the era of mega-projects,” Kent reflects. “It’s not that they won’t exist, but there will be fewer.
“We’re aligning our tools and support for smaller-scale projects, particularly in energy transition and water infrastructure.”
The ISC is also exploring its role in digital infrastructure, both as a critical asset class and as an enabler of connected, efficient systems. This aligns with ISC’s updated purpose: ‘to enable connected infrastructure that supports people to thrive on a healthy planet.’
Throughout both the impact report and the strategy, one theme is clear: the ISC is positioning itself as an integrator and enabler across the sector.
This includes offering new partnerships, supporting emerging technologies, and creating opportunities for smaller players to engage in sustainability transformations they might not otherwise afford.
“Our future is about being seen as part of a broader ecosystem. We want to lift others up, and in doing so, we think we’ll be rewarded with trust and stronger support in return.”
With infrastructure central to climate, social equity and economic resilience agendas, ISC’s dual focus on measured impact and strategic foresight puts it in a unique position.
The 2025 Impact Report demonstrates the real-world outcomes sustainability can deliver, while the Strategy 2030 ensures those outcomes become more consistent, scalable and accessible. Together, they form a roadmap for an infrastructure sector that is not only fit for the future but actively shaping it.
