In a world where debate rages without end on what ESG actually means – beyond the simple translation of “environmental, social and governance” – it felt timely to turn the Infra Dig spotlight on this burgeoning space.

IJGlobal content director Angus Leslie Melville pulls up a chair for a fireside chat with David Thomas – EMEA director for infrastructure engagement at GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark) – for a podcast that delves into the murky world of ESG in the infra arena.

In an episode that runs for around 30 minutes, David takes the listener through the increasing role that ESG is playing in infrastructure, with a primary focus on the all-important pre-operational phase.

You can access this latest Infra Dig episode on Apple Podcasts and through Amazon Podcasts. It is also hosted across a slew of other platforms and is open access on all of them.

In a particularly well-timed podcast – given the submissions deadline for IJGlobal ESG Awards 2024 looms at the end of next week (5 July), having extended the deadline due to demand – David gives an interesting view on how the market is shifting.

He says: “New, or greenfield, infrastructure needs to be developed in line with a low-carbon future economy. There are a few areas that we thought were really important… first of all, Net Zero, which means that new assets being constructed are built with a consideration that they should be able to reach Net Zero once they become operational.

“We are also looking at embodied carbon during the construction phase of the asset. That is both by minimising it and ensuring that it is accounted for as part of that Net Zero target-setting process.

“And finally – and this is something that we have all heard a lot about recently – is resilience against climate risks and opportunities. A key part of that is having a good understanding of both transitional and physical risks and opportunities.”

Conversation flows nicely for an interesting half-hour, centring on that key pre-operational phase, giving an interesting insight into an area that is impacting the entire infrastructure investing community.

Tune into this latest Infra Dig episode to learn more…