America moves toward more sustainable infrastructure solutions
Sixty-four percent of Americans are willing to pay more today for national infrastructure that is energy efficient and less wasteful to save money and resources in the future, according to a new America THINKS survey from Kansas City, Mo.-based HNTB Corp. And, 96 percent of Americans agree all new construction should take sustainability into consideration.
The percentage of Americans in favor of paying more now for sustainable infrastructure is up from 58 percent last November, according to the report. “Whether it’s on transportation facilities, such as roads and bridges, or in buildings, we’re finding that sustainability has become a requirement for many of our clients because their stakeholders are expecting sustainable features,” said David Wenzel, HNTB sustainability services chair. “Particularly with large, complex projects, clients are grappling with understanding this issue and potential responses as they foresee new local, state and federal mandates on the horizon.”
The report also found that 47 percent of Americans predict that, in five years, people in their area will be using public transit much more often – and 56 percent think that could be a reality 20 years from now. More than three in four Americans (76 percent) feel that large-scale infrastructure developments with sustainability in mind are an important investment for future generations. Fifty-one percent said they would be willing to add some amount to their yearly taxes to ensure new construction within their region was sustainable in some way.
Download the America THINKS sustainability survey fact sheet.