Infrastructure investments in Canada and the United Kingdom are most likely to deliver positive societal, economic, or environmental benefits, research by Economist Impact has revealed.

The Infrastructure for Good barometer, developed by Economist Impact and supported by Deloitte and Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability benchmarks the capacity of 30 countries to sustainably deliver efficient and quality infrastructure that addresses critical economic, social and environmental needs.

The UK ranked second place, scoring highly across all five pillars, employing several strategies to deliver inclusive, sustainable infrastructure, and ‘is one of few countries with sufficiently ambitious emissions and net zero targets, supported by policy. It has systemic measures in place to protect the environment and plan for infrastructure resilience.’

Jerome Lynch, Vinik Dean of Engineering at Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering, said: “Addressing the world’s enormous infrastructure finance gaps in the face of climate change and social inequity demands more than technical solutions. It is essential that engineers, governments, and financiers take a holistic approach to infrastructure development to maximize prosperity and resilience throughout the world.”

Nigeria and Indonesia received the lowest scores among the 30 countries.