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February 2015Exchange Issue 13The Envision Rating System forSustainable Infrastructure:Development, Applications, and thePotential for LebanonGuest Author: Dr. Andreas GeorgouliasProfessor, Harvard University Graduate School ofDesignDirector, Zofnass Program for sustainableInfrastructure1 IntroductionThe private sector has a crucial role in sustainabledevelopment internationally. Private investmentsand public-private partnerships that aresustainable in environmental, social, andeconomic terms facilitate socially inclusivegrowth creating jobs and innovation necessaryto raise the quality of life. This is especiallyimportant in developing countries, where theprivate sector provides up to 90 percent of jobs.As such, it has the critical potential to facilitateinitiatives that ensure a positive impact on localcommunities. Private sector engagement insustainable infrastructure and energy caneffectively stimulate a huge potential in muchneeded growth and at the same time l and economic risks.Lebanon is no exception; plagued by historicfailures to reform its electricity sector, the needfor modernization in Lebanon’s infrastructuresector is eminent (MEW, 2010). The approximateestimation of 2.5 billion of losses stemmingfrom various system inefficiencies on the nationaleconomy annually makes the change to a newsustainable infrastructure energy system anational necessity (MEW, 2010). The PolicyPaper for the Electricity Sector by the Ministry ofEnergy and Water gives a brief description of themain reasons behind this daunting crisis. Itshortlists lack of sustainable investments, highfuel bills, old, and inefficient infrastructure,significant transmission and distribution losses,as well as complex legal and organizationalconfigurations among the most importantpriorities that require a simultaneous andcomprehensive solution framework (MEW,2010).Considering expected climate variations, the
Page2generating capacity requirements to fill currentgaps, demand forecasts, and necessaryinfrastructure to facilitate electricity distribution ina sustainable manner exacerbates the problem(MEW, 2010). The Policy Paper divides actionsinto three strategic areas, infrastructure, supply& demand, and legal framework, and teninitiatives with an over-arching goal of achieving12% of total energy needs, excludingtransportation, in the country from renewableenergy sources by 2020 (MEW, 2010 and Ghajar,R. , 2010). In order to streamline the process ofachieving this ambitious goal, Lebanon is strivingto facilitate comprehensive collaboration andpublic sector initiatives. A special financingmechanism, the National Energy Efficiency andRenewable Energy Action, has been created toprovide private sector entities with subsidizedloans for sustainable energy projects (El Khoury,P. 2013). The plan will be implemented in threedistinct phases, encompassing both short andlong- term goals (Ghajar, R. 2010). This,however, needs to be accompanied by aframework that will evaluate the transparentdelivery of these actions and their continuousrefinement to account for changes in thetechnological and built environment (MEW,2010). Otherwise, in the midst of growingenvironmental and social pressures, the planrisks to overlook serious threats and misssignificant lity Assessment FrameworkEven though the need for modernization andsustainable infrastructure in Lebanon and abroad isunequivocal, historically, the lack of political andother guidance significantly halts private sectorsustainability endeavors. Sustainability guidelines,collection of best practices, and assessmentmethodologies on sustainability performance couldhelp overcome this problem. A clear example of howall the above have been successfully applied in thebuilding sector in the United States is the LEED ratingsystem from the United States Green BuildingCouncil (USGBC). A rating system provides an tions for best practices.However, most of existing sustainability ratingsystems are focused on and designed for buildings,not infrastructure projects. Even if both buildings andinfrastructures require concrete and steel to beconstructed, their differences are many: buildings areconfined, infrastructures are typically networksspanning many areas and geographies, affectingseveral communities and environments; buildingsare typically much smaller in scale in comparison toinfrastructure projects; buildings typically provideenclosed spaces that people spend a lot of their timeinside, whereas infrastructures may not haveenclosed spaces that are designed for frequentpeople stay; and finally, ownership and governancefor most buildings is much simpler and single-ownerfocused, compared to infrastructure that is affectedby multiple stakeholders and its ownership structuresare much more deep and multi-layered.It then becomes evident that a sustainability ratingsystem that is designed for buildings is not fullycapable to capture the fundamental differencesbetween infrastructure and buildings, as well as theirspecific contextual factors with regard to time, scaleand life-cycle differentials. And unfortunately, untilrecently the vast majority of available rating systemswere focused on and designed for buildings. The lackof a comprehensive sustainability rating systemwithin the infrastructure project domain has beenevident for a long time.Recognizing this lack, and the urgent need to betterunderstand and promote sustainable infrastructure,the Zofnass Program (Zofnass) for SustainableInfrastructure at Harvard University’s GraduateSchool of Design has been working to fill these gaps.The Zofnass program embarked on 2008 to developa sustainability rating system for infrastructure, ableto provide a robust method to quantify sustainabilityfor all infrastructure projects and promote theirsustainable practices and actions. As the Program’sfounder and principal donor, Paul Zofnass, wouldsay: “If we can come up with a set of metrics thatpeople can agree to and that has the credibility . . . tomeasure and evaluate these projects I think we’regoing to have a very meaningful impact, a criticallyimportant impact, on preserving our environment.”(Envision v2, 2010).To deliver on its mission and achieve its goals, theZofnass Program established a strategic partnershipwith the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure ganization headquartered in Washington, DC and
Page3founded by the American Society of Civil Engineers,the American Council of Engineering Companies,and the American Public Works Association. Thepartnership between ISI and the Zofnass Program atHarvard aimed to create a unique, interdisciplinaryapproach and incorporate the different perspectivesof infrastructure’s diverse stakeholders. Through thisjoint collaboration, a unique rating system to assessthe sustainability of infrastructure projects wascreated: the Envision Rating System for SustainableInfrastructure.The Envision Rating SystemEnvision is much more than a simple rating tool. It isa framework of criteria that can be used by all majorinfrastructure stakeholders for decision-making. Itincorporates sustainable infrastructure designguidance, and integrates resources and libraries foreducation and best practices. It provides an overarching, comprehensive assessment framework thatevaluates and quantifies sustainability for allinfrastructure projects. The vision behind its creationis to facilitate a systemic change and advance theindustry from a passive, business-as-usual thinkingto higher innovative solutions; to promote sustainableinfrastructure and create a set of specific, scalablesustainability principles as a robust reference for allfuture infrastructure projects with an emphasis oneconomic, social, and environmental dimensions.Envision, unlike other sustainability rating systems,focuses on the contribution of infrastructure to themany other systems it is part of, such as urban andnatural systems and grids. It provides guidance topursue holistic solutions by using a lifecycle approachevaluated against the needs of surroundingcommunities, as well as rewards restorative effortsthat exceed traditional sustainability performance.Key FeaturesEnvision is organized around five distinct categories,and fourteen subcategories. The five Envisioncategories, Resource Allocation, Natural World,Climate, Change, Quality of Life, and Leadership,correspond to principal areas of impact. Categorieswere selected considering that they could be appliedto all types of infrastructure. Each category has itsown credit list. Credits encompass evaluation criteriasuch as “reducing carbon emissions” and awardFigure 1: The Envision Categories, Subcategories, and credits. Image courtesy of Zofnass Program at Harvard University and Instituteof Sustainable Infrastructure
Page4points depending on the implementation of theevaluation criteria and the project’s expectedperformance. The submission is then verified andprojects are certified based on their total awardedpoints. Envision expands the potential forsustainability action into two distinct areas:performance and pathway. The first addresses allactions taken by the project teams to improve aproject’s sustainability characteristics with regard toperformance, such as energy efficiency and waterconsumption. The latter considers whether theproject requirements address community needs, andif the project team seeks to improve the community’squality of life by integrating their project with existingsystems. Therefore, Envision expands the traditionalconsiderations with regard to sustainability. Itmotivates project teams to identify the communityneeds that result in a new project and not only ask“Will we do the project right?” but also, “Will we dothe right project?” Regardless of how efficient a newinfrastructure might be, it is not really sustainable if itis not necessary.long-term risks that stem from traps and vulnerabilities.These are divided into distinct categories that relateto over-dependence on scarce and expensiveresources such as fossil fuels, designs leading toprojects vulnerable to climate variations, naturaldisasters and economic conditions, as well asconceptual plans that do not consider the urgentrequirements for sustainable development and howthese conditions might adjust in the future.Envision Categories of AssessmentSustainability is often complex with overlappingobjectives. For this reason, Envision organizescredits into five categories and fourteen subcategoriesbased on their main area of impact. It guides projectteams to assess their projects against broad areas ofimpact as well as identify complex synergies amongcredits and evaluation criteria.Resource AllocationEnvision also guides project teams to avoid significantFigure 2: the Resource Allocation Category. Image courtesy of Zofnass Program at Harvard University & Institute ofSustainable Infrastructure
Page5Envision aims for the optimal allocation of resources,which has the least impact on the current environmentand maximizes the potential of future generations tohave access to the resources they will need.Resource allocation covers the required use ofresources and energy to build and manageinfrastructure projects. Envision investigates theamount, source, and characteristics of theseelements, as well as their influence on projectsustainability. Project teams are guided to choosematerials that are less toxic to the environment andhuman health, and pursue efficiency from renewableresources. This category falls into three subcategories: Materials, Energy, and Water.MaterialsEnvision introduces the total amount of materialsused as a prime consideration for infrastructureprojects, incorporating issues of safety, stability, anddurability. Similarly, considering the source ofmaterials is also imperative. Materials originatingfrom distant sources should be avoided in case thesame type and quality can be found locally. Envisionguides project teams to consider the full life-cycle ofmaterials, as well as important characteristics thathelp to minimize the total amount of resourceconsumption.EnergyEnvision facilitates projects that aim to reduce overallenergy use and avoid using non-renewable fossilfueled power sources. It awards projects that strive tocover energy requirements through renewablesources when possible.WaterFuture water scarcity implications are imperative forlong-term project planning. As such, Envision guidesproject teams to reduce overall water use and seekalternative water sources, such as stormwater runoffreuse. Water monitoring and studying is encouragedto identify optimal community water consumption.Natural WorldEnvision aims to preserve and enhance the ecologicalsystems that sustain life. The design of ation and disruptions to land that provideshabitat and supports biodiversity, promote therejuvenation of degraded systems, and employstrategies of conservation which engage hazardavoidance/mitigation.Figure 3: The Natural World Category. Image courtesy of Zofnass Program at Harvard University & Institute of SustainableInfrastructure
Page6Land and WaterNatural world focuses on the habitats, species, andnon-living natural systems that exist aroundinfrastructure projects. Infrastructure may unwillinglyaffect the systems it is located within and introduceunforeseen perturbations. Natural World examinesthe potential effects of infrastructure projects andstrives to identify potential synergies with naturalsystems. Envision allocates these effects into threesub-categories: Siting, Land and Water, andBiodiversity.SitingSite selection is imperative for infrastructure projects,and they should be sited to avoid disturbing sensitiveecological areas that perform important ecosystemservices and provide critical habitat for many plantand animal specials. Envision specifically recognizesprojects that understand that impacts may extendbeyond a projects’ physical boundaries, seek topreserve areas of geologic or hydrologic value andavoid interrupting natural cycles. It also recognizesthat many times avoiding sensitive sites might not bepractical. In such cases, sufficient mitigationmeasures should be incorporated. These newfeatures need to match the quality of those that wereperturbed. Furthermore, Envision rewards projectsthat utilize previously developed or contaminatedland to rejuvenate surrounding ecosystems andimprove land value.Envision highlights the importance of hydrologic andnutrient cycles to support resilient ecosystems.Therefore, it rewards projects that take steps toimprove these qualities, or introduce minimalperturbations. Avoiding contamination throughstormwater runoff or pesticides and fertilizers isconsidered imperative, since their impact is multilayered and adversely impacts the quality of largerecosystems. Water withdrawals from critical surfaceor groundwater sources should also not decreasewater levels substantially.BiodiversityEnvision guides Infrastructure projects to minimizenegative ramifications on local species and respectivehabitats. It places particular attention on avoiding theintroduction of invasive species, as well as recognizingthreatened, endangered, or other imperiled plantsand animals that have a substantial role in maintaininglocal ecosystem functions. Furthermore, special careis also taken to avoid habitat fragmentation, as wellas to promote connectivity and planning for erations also include protecting surface waterquality of local watersheds, controlling respectivewater withdrawals and mitigating stormwater runoff.Climate and RiskFigure 4: The Climate and Risk category. Image courtesy of Zofnass Program at Harvard University & Institute of SustainableInfrastructure
Page7reduction, such as carbon sequestration and offsets.Envision aims to minimize long-term climate changecaused by infrastructure works and operations and topromote infrastructure projects that are adaptableand resilient to future conditions that may result fromclimate change.Climate and Risk focuses on controlling emissionsthat might facilitate short and long term perturbationsas well as promoting resilient infrastructure projectsthat are able to mitigate both short-term hazards andlong-term variations. Climate and Risk falls into twosub-categories: Emissions and Resilience.EmissionsInfrastructure is responsible for a large portion ofgreenhouse gas emissions. For instance, electricitycan be produced through fossil-fuel combustion andcertain transportation networks facilitate automobileuse. Envision identifies infrastructure gas emissionsfrom various sources, such as energy consumption,transportation, embodied carbon in materials, andwaste products. The focus is on understanding andcontrolling these emissions during all stages of aprojects’ life-cycle. Envision measures emissions incarbon dioxide equivalent values for simplification,while it also considers additional means of carbonResilienceInfrastructure resilience is imperative for efficientlong-term planning. Envision supports project teamsto deliver informed project design that anticipatesand adapts to risks, minimizing overall vulnerability.Credits with regard to resilience deal with withstandingshort-term risks, such as flooding, as well as changesin long-term conditions, such as sea level rise andclimate variations. The overall objective is to supportlonger project life-cycles as well as the needs of thecommunities, for this and the next generations tocome.Quality of LifeEnvision aims to maximize the quality of life of thosewho are affected by infrastructure projects, both nowand in the future. Within this framework, the ZofnassProgram views infrastructure as having a dualfunction: first to provide the required service, andsecond to provide this service at an acceptablequality level.Figure 5: The Quality of Life category. Image courtesy of Zofnass Program at Harvard University & Institute of SustainableInfrastructure
Page8Quality of Life deals with the impacts that infrastructureprojects might have on surrounding communities,encompassing individual, as well as community atlarge, health and wellbeing considerations. Impactscan be physical, economic, or social. Envisionfocuses its guidance on facilitating infrastructureprojects that consider community aspirations, andare thoroughly planned and established as a part ofexisting networks. As such, Envision incorporatesobjectives that support community education,outreach, knowledge creation, and capacity building.It promotes community involvement, and strives toinclude community members and infrastructure usersas crucial stakeholders and part of the decisionmaking process. The category is divided into threesub-categories: Purpose, Wellbeing, and Community.PurposeEnvision addresses fundamental functions ofcommunitiessuchassustainablegrowthdevelopment, efficient job creation, and general lifeimprovements. Ultimately, during every step of theproject, it facilitates the critical consideration whether“This is the right project”. Infrastructure projects canalways result in positive impacts, from providinginformation on their unique sustainable characteristicsto disseminating the message about the sustainabledevelopment imperative and its impacts.WellbeingEnvision gives particular attention to addressingindividual comfort, health, and mobility. It establishessafety of workers and local residents as an integralpart of the project planning process and encouragesthe incorporation of alternative modes of transportationinto surrounding transport networks.CommunityLocal surroundings and context oftentimes remain inthe sidelines during the planning and design stagesof infrastructure projects. Envision promotesinfrastructure project designs that maintain or improveits surroundings and consider its visual and functionalimpacts. Both rural and urban setting considerationsare incorporated through context-specific objectivesto preserve views and natural features as well as thelocal character of specific built environments.Envision rewards projects that with the help ofsustainable procedures incorporate new ways ofthinking with regard to their integration into theirsurrounding communities.LeadershipLeadership deals with how project teams couldestablish effective communication and collaborationframeworks early in the planning phase to incorporateFigure 6: The Leadership category. Image courtesy of Zofnass Program at Harvard University & Institute of SustainableInfrastructure
Page9new innovative solutions regarding how projects areapproached to truly achieve sustainable performance.Envision rewards engaging with different stakeholdersto have a diverse overview of the project, as well asencompassingamorelong-term,holisticconsideration of the project’s life-cycle. This sectionis divided into three sub-sections: Collaboration,Management, and Planning.CollaborationEnvision explores innovative leadership andcommitment from project teams, and encourageseffective management practices. Sustainableprojects should allow for non-traditional stakeholderinput and different perspectives in order to identifydiverse innovation prospects.ManagementEnvision rewards projects that aim to identifysynergies within the project or among largerinfrastructure systems. Innovative managementpractices will maximize sustainability prospects,durability against long-term risks, as well as expandthe life-cycle of the project.PlanningThis section encompasses planning and regulatoryenvironment considerations in order to facilitate along-term view of the project with regard tosustainability. Specific objectives guide project teamsto efficient project processes, avoid pitfalls and planeffectively for long-term risks.How the Envision System WorksPoint AllocationEnvision has sixty credits in total, divided into threetypes: qualitative, quantitative, and yes/no. Eachcredit corresponds to a specific sustainabilityindicator, and awards a varying number of pointsdepending on its type. Credits are graded on a fivepoint scale identified as the levels of achievement:improved, enhanced, superior, conserving, andrestorative. For every credit, a point value is earnedwith each level of achievement. As such, Envision isable to assess the full spectrum of efforts ofinfrastructure projects, allowing for increasedflexibility and requirements tailored for a wide varietyof project specifics. “Levels of achievement alwaysbuild upon one another. It is not possible to meet therequirements for the conserving level without alsomeeting the requirements for improved, enhanced orsuperior. “ (Envision v2)While simple and basic sustainability improvementsconsist the required first step, long-term actions needto consider restorative performance implications.Envision aims to promote projects that do more thansimply incorporate incremental sustainabilityimprovements that have minimal environmentalconsequences. It makes restoration its highest goaland awards the last points to projects that restoreand enhance communities, their economy, and theirimmediate surroundings. This also reserves theadvantage of following relative long-term industryperformance innovations. Projects that want to attainfull points are required to progressively adjust theirperformance.Infrastructure planning andperformance ultimately controls the award, assustainable decisions award more points.Evaluation CriteriaEnvision sets a step-by-step guideline of how to meeteach credits’ specific requirements, or evaluationcriteria. Project teams are required to submit therequested documentation to be assessed by verifiers.If the objectives are met, then sufficient levels ofachievement are specified. Qualitative credits involvesubmitting documentation or detailed descriptions ofthe actions the project team took to meet therequirements. Quantitative credits require calculationsand supporting evidence.InnovationInnovative new methods that facilitate sustainableinfrastructure and push project performance beyondthe expectations of credit requirements are specificallysought and awarded by Envision. For this reason,Envision includes a special Innovate or ExceedCredit Requirements credit, which aims to providebonus accreditation to projects that push thetraditional boundaries and achieve extraordinarysustainable performance.WeightsSeveral factors are used to precisely weight awardedpoints. Primarily, the local – regional context is usedas the main weight, since sustainability impacts differsignificantly among locations and regions. As such, itis critical for Envision to be adaptable. Considerpotable water consumption, for instance. Areasexperiencing substantial droughts will
Page10Figure 7: The Envision credits, levels of achievement and point scores. Image courtesy of Zofnass Program at HarvardUniversity & Institute of Sustainable Infrastructure
Page11Other means such as thresholds are also used wherescientifically possible, where commonly acceptedthresholds for human or wildlife danger are availablein the case of pollutant-related credits, such asgreenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, we mayconsider stakeholder input and infrastructure types toallow local communities to have a say in what isconsidered important to them.ApplicationsEnvision considers that sustainability issues mayarise at various points during the life-cycle ofinfrastructure, and every phase of an infrastructureproject has unique impacts on sustainability.Typically, infrastructure projects affect larger areas,require a lot of resources, and take longer to plan andconstruct compared to individual buildings and otherconstruction. Envision promotes infrastructuresystems that continue to meet these demands for thenext generations to come.As such, the project team can chose to specificallyaddress time, a factor that is regularly overlookedwhen applying sustainability rating systems. To taketime into account, one could divide a project intorelevant phases. In total, we can identify four majorphases: planning and design, construction,operations, and decommissioning.Because timing requirements among different phasesmay differ significantly, the project team shouldaddress each phase separately. This allows to placeequal value with regard to sustainability on both theconstruction and operation phase to comprehensivelyconsider the impact of a project on the environment.Furthermore, by directly certifying operations existinginfrastructure and networks are also eligible foranalysis, directly broadening the scope of theapplication.Expanding the framework to include all phases of aninfrastructure project also allows the key stakeholdersto encompass the conceptual actions that majorlyaffect a project’s overall sustainability. We canidentify this phase as “Explore Options” to facilitatethe investigation of many different solutions withregard to addressing the need of an infrastructureproject in a more sustainable way. Alternativesolutions, however, may not have to be a completelynew project. They could also include upgrading anexisting system or various non-built solutions, suchas policy or education. Envision specifically promotesprojects that follow sustainability principles throughouttheir complete lifecycle. It guides projects to meetevaluation criteria in all phases reserving specialrecognition for projects that aim and achieve thesegoals.Explore Different Infrastructure OptionsEvaluating the need for infrastructure that existswithin a given society is very important and the firststage towards achieving sustainability. At this stage,different infrastructure options should be explored,without deciding immediately on a given solution.This evaluation phase should be planning or design,to thoroughly investigate whether the need for aspecific project is legitimate, as well as to explorealternative options that could potentially satisfy thatneed. It is critical to identify alternative solutions thatcould potentially upgrade an existing system orinclude non-built solutions. Oftentimes a differenttype of infrastructure project than originally thoughtmight be more sustainable.Explore options could potentially be the mostinfluential stage with regard to sustainability, andoftentimes requires the buy-in of a diverse array ofstakeholders. Here it is important to follow arecommended procedural framework (like Envision),including guidelines for the project phase and a set ofalternatives for consideration. This can encompassbroad categories of alternatives with the goal toeducate users, owners, politicians, and communitiesabout potential sustainability best practices,technologies and ecological solutions. Alternativescan include the upgrade or retrofit of existing systems,the construction of new infrastructure, investment innatural systems, policies that lead to demandreduction, and doing nothing.Integrating the Economic ExternalitiesEnvision focuses on environmental, social andgovernance/ leadership aspects of sustainability.Sustainability, however, is multifaceted andeconomics is one of its most crucial parameters.Even when developing sustainably, infrastructureprojects might unintentionally affect nearby systemsand the societies that depend on them. Even themost sustainable projects have costs beyond thoseexplicitly stated in project budgets. These costs andbenefits, commonly known as externalities, are rations for their quantification. Therefore,project teams frequently reach roadblocks whenstakeholders struggle to identify sustainabilityopportunities and the inherent benefits betweeneconomics and sustainability.
Page12In conjunction with Envision, the Zofnass Programhas developed an economic assessment tool to helpproject owners identify the benefits of pursuingsustainable solutions. More importan
long-term project planning. As such, Envision guides project teams to reduce overall water use and seek alternative water sources, such as stormwater runoff reuse. Water monitoring and studying is encouraged to identify optimal community water consumption. Natural World Envision aims to preserve and enhance the ecological systems that sustain life.
