Infrastructure is crucial to economic growth, prosperity, and social inclusion. Still, in the Americas, infrastructure networks present a significant gap—and the aggregated level of investment in the region falls short of that considered necessary for adequate infrastructure.
There is room for improvement in the way infrastructure projects are pursued. In particular, initiatives would benefit from implementing good practices across the project lifecycle, including project selection and portfolio optimization, contracting and construction, and ongoing maintenance. Many of these lie within the purview of the public sector, which is responsible for much of the transport/logistics infrastructure investment.
Beyond specific good practices, countries need to develop regulations that stimulate competition in transport/ logistics services. They can also engage in increased cooperation across borders to gain a regional perspective on infrastructure policies and implementation and take regional actions that support improvement efforts and the harmonization of transport infrastructure and service metrics.
Countries now have an opportunity to amplify the impact of their efforts by organizing their infrastructure portfolios to reflect environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals while ensuring greater transparency and integrity in infrastructure initiatives—all of which will help ensure sustainable results.
Chair(s):