94 trillion dollars. This is the amount of investment necessary in the infrastructure sector (transport, energy, telecoms, etc.) between 2016 and 2040 globally to achieve the sustainable development goals set by the UN. A colossal challenge and also a unique opportunity to design “quality” infrastructures, aligned not only with ecological and energy imperatives, but also with the growing demand for inclusion and equity.
Income inequality and infrastructure: an ambivalent relationship
If the positive impact of investment in infrastructure on economic growth is the subject of consensus in the academic world, the academic literature is full of arguments and counter-arguments regarding the impact on inequalities of income. A study by Hooper, Peters and Pintus in 2017 found that the annual growth rate of public spending on higher education and the highway system in the United States during a given decade is negatively correlated with the Gini index – indicator benchmark for measuring inequalities – at the end of the decade. In other words, there would be a causal effect of investment in infrastructure towards the reduction of income inequalities, particularly strong for the lowest 40% of incomes.
However, the situation is not so simple. This is what 2019 Nobel Prize winner Esther Duflo points out in a report published in November 2024 by Vauban Infrastructure Partners, the think tank InfraVision and Altermind on inclusion and infrastructure, taking the example of China: “ highway construction is likely to favor cities at the “edges,” boosting trade and employment, but also harm intermediate regions by draining their local resources and labor ».
Facing the risks of social regression of the ecological transition
“Providing” infrastructure is therefore not enough to maximize its potential for creating “social” value. Infrastructures and their associated services must be thought out, designed and operated for everyone. It is a collective responsibility for the sector because, to date, disparities in access and quality of infrastructure persist on a global scale (between countries in the North and South) and within countries: in 2023, around 800 million people still did not have access to drinking water and 2.5 billion did not have adequate sanitation facilities. In France, 3.3 million people are still in a situation of fuel poverty…
And the issue is even more critical given the “multiplier” effect of inequalities of the low-carbon transition. On the one hand, in the absence of resolute action in favor of ecological and energy transitions, the poorest will be the most severely affected by climate change, particularly in emerging countries. On the other hand, measures in favor of eco-responsible infrastructure and services carry a risk of social regression and exclusion. The example of low-emission zones – which consist of gradually banning the circulation of polluting vehicles in cities – is a textbook case: if their environmental impact is proven, they present the risk of “archipelagoing” territories and amplify socio-spatial disparities because the cost of access to electric vehicles is generally too high for low-income households.
This difficulty in reconciling social justice and ecology is well identified, and is the subject of increasing attention, particularly at the European level. As part of the package Fit for 55the European Commission has set up a Social Climate Fund with 65 billion euros over the period 2026-2036 to support measures aimed at reducing emissions from road transport and buildings by reducing costs for vulnerable households , microenterprises and users. In France, the Minister of Ecological Transition, Energy, Climate and Risk Prevention Agnès Pannier-Runacher mentioned during the InfraVision launch conference on November 6 that “ for ecology to facilitate true sharing of value, we must build a virtuous circle where decarbonization, reindustrialization, job creation and the fight against climate change go hand in hand.”
Acting together to succeed in the “just transition” of infrastructure
In this context, guaranteeing the acceptability of an infrastructure project by local populations, its adequacy to the real needs of communities and its accessibility for all (including the elderly or people with disabilities) are three essential building blocks for generating maximum social dividends. “ For each new project, Local stakeholder engagement must be inclusive, with particular attention to including marginalized populations and so-called “hard-to-reach” communities. underlines Sadie Morgan, co-founder of the architectural firm dRMM.
If infrastructure projects place more and more importance and resources on involving all stakeholders and designing the most inclusive systems possible, the equation becomes complex when it comes to “putting a price” to the marketed service. Maximizing the social and environmental performance of infrastructure while guaranteeing a sufficient level of profitability for companies requires rethinking pricing models and the parameters of contracts with public authorities. Cooperation, consultation and compromise are essential, and investors also have a key role to play. Without this shared commitment in the service of a great social and ecological ambition, infrastructures will struggle to achieve their primary objective: contributing to sustainable living together.
Par By Gwenola Chambon, Mounir Corm, Thomas Bourleaud
