California High-Speed Rail Authority receives award for its sustainability efforts

Conceptual rendering of a typical high-speed rail segment in the Central Valley near Corcoran. Credit: hsr.ca.gov

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) has received national recognition with the Envision Platinum rating for its sustainability efforts.

The Envision Platinum rating is the highest-level award from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, and the award is the first time a programme the size and complexity of the state’s high-speed rail project has earned such an honour.

Meg Cederoth, the Authority’s Director of Planning and Sustainability, said: “We are proud to have achieved Envision Platinum for the high-speed rail programme. This recognises the Authority’s progress on delivering a sustainable transportation system for California. We’ve sought to reflect California’s sustainability ethic while laying the foundation for carbon-free travel. This recognition is a validation of the Authority’s ability to deliver sustainable infrastructure.”

Melissa Peneycad, Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure Managing Director, said: “Sustainable infrastructure is a broad idea made very specific through the Envision verification process. This robust, third-party review of sustainability performance against 64 different issue areas illustrates how the California High-Speed Rail Authority is delivering on its commitment to provide current and future generations a system that protects and restores social, environmental and economic sustainability in its delivery and on into operation.”

The Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure is a non-profit organisation founded by the American Public Works Association, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Council of Engineering Companies. To earn the Envision Platinum award, projects must demonstrate sustainability through a third-party project verification process and a comprehensive independent peer-review process conducted and overseen by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure. The evaluation assesses the programme’s performance across 64 sustainability criteria addressing a wide range of indicators including community quality of life, mobility, collaboration, planning, sustainability management, materials, energy, water, economic prosperity, environmental impacts, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and resilience.