An integrated framework to sustainable and resilient infrastructure design and management in a changing climate

Climate change driven by human activities is causing significant warming, with further increases anticipated. These changes pose unprecedented risks to Canada’s core public infrastructure, including hospitals, roads, bridges, and water systems, with profound implications for public safety, health, security, equity, environmental conservation, and economic prosperity. Minimizing infrastructure failure requires integrating sustainability and resilience principles into decision-making for both new and existing assets. A review of current practices highlights notable gaps, particularly the limited integration of climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. To address these challenges, a novel integrated framework is proposed, combining mitigation and adaptation strategies with Life Cycle Thinking methods—specifically, Life Cycle Performance (LCP), Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA), and Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA). This framework offers a comprehensive approach to enhancing infrastructure sustainability and resilience, supporting the selection of sustainable designs and effective management strategies in the context of a changing climate.