The IS Rating Scheme
What is it?
The IS Rating Scheme (IS) is Australia and New Zealand’s only comprehensive rating system for evaluating sustainability across the planning, design, construction and operational phases of infrastructure programs, projects, networks and assets. IS evaluates the sustainability performance of the quadruple bottom line (Governance, Economic, Environmental and Social) of infrastructure development.
The IS rating scheme aims to:
- Provide a common national language for sustainability in infrastructure.
- Provide a framework for consistent application and evaluation of sustainability in tendering processes.
- Help in scoping whole-of-life sustainability risks for projects and assets, enabling smarter solutions that reduce risks and costs.
- Foster efficiency and waste reduction, reducing costs.
- Foster innovation and continuous improvement in the sustainability outcomes from infrastructure.
- Build an organisation’s credentials and reputation in its approach to sustainability outcomes.
IS version 2.0 is the current edition of the rating scheme, which was released on 1 July 2018, however many projects are using ISv1.2.
ISCA currently offers four rating phases:
Which aspects of sustainability are considered in an IS Rating (v2.0)?
(Click here for ISv1.2 categories)
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Category
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Overview
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Governance
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Context
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The Context category sets the scene. It includes urban and landscape design topic areas as well as focuses on how the infrastructure project has been considered as part of its surroundings, its purpose and how it enhances liveability.
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Leadership & Management
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This category encourages projects to align their sustainability strategy/policy/program with the Sustainability Development Goals, assesses the risk and opportunity process for the project and rewards knowledge and data sharing.
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Sustainable Procurement
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The Sustainable Procurement category includes social and environmental risks and opportunities within supply chains as well as rewards social outcomes such as engaging social enterprises. The category has been developed to align with ISO20400.
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Resilience
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Resilience is more than just climate change adaptation. This category promotes the broader definition of resilience and looks at how infrastructure is contributing towards city, regional and community resilience.
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Innovation
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The Innovation category rewards pioneering initiatives in sustainable design, process or advocacy.
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Economic
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Options Assessment and Business Case
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The Options Assessment and Business Case category rewards the selection of sustainable initiatives using non-financial elements in decision-making.
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Benefits
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The Benefits category encourages projects to track the costs and benefits outlined in the business case and compares them to the real outcomes though whole life of a project.
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Environment
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Energy and Carbon
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The Energy and Carbon category rewards a reduction in energy and emissions.
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Green Infrastructure
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This new category rewards the inclusion of green infrastructure, such as water sensitive urban design, green walls, green roofs, and all other living solutions.
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Environmental impacts
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This category addresses water discharges, noise, vibration, air quality and light pollution
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Resource Efficiency
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The Resource Efficiency category takes a circular economy approach to resource management and thinks about resources holistically from reusing resources on site to finding new and innovative used for ‘waste’ products.
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Water
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The Water category rewards water efficiency as well as considering and using appropriate water sources.
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Ecology
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The Ecology category rewards the maintenance or enhancement of ecological value.
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Social
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Stakeholder Engagement
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The Stakeholder category rewards effective stakeholder engagement.
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Legacy
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The legacy category will reward projects who leave a positive legacy for the community and/or environment.
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Heritage
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The Heritage category rewards the monitoring a management of European and Indigenous heritage.
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Workforce Sustainability
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The Workforce Sustainability category includes education and training; wellbeing; diversity and inclusion; workplace culture; workforce planning and encourages projects to think about the skills they need for the future.
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How can the tool be applied?
The tool can be used to secure a rating for a range of infrastructure types, including but not limited to:
ISCA are concerned with all types of infrastructure, including but not limited to:
- The scheme is applied by a sustainability professional who should be an Infrastructure Sustainability Accredited Professional (ISAP). ISAP status is achieved by completing an IS Training for Professionals | Design and As Built training course, completeing an exam, and paying the ISAP fee.
- This person is a crucial part of the project team to manage the implementation, document collation, and application of the rating and sustainability within a project or asset.
- It is also recommended that in order to increase sustainability capability of the team, that other project members are ISAPs, as well as recommended that mid and senior leadership participate in IS for Project Managers, and IS for Executives workshops.
- The more people within a project delivery team who are on board, the more efficient the process becomes.
- When you register for an IS Rating, you are assigned a Case Manager. A Case Manager works at ISCA, and is an expert on the rating handbook and process, and will guide you to achieving an IS Rating.
The process of undertaking an IS Rating:
There are four stages:
1) Registration – Filling out a registration of interest (ROI) form and signing rating agreement with ISCA.
2) Assessment – The main stage with the most case manager support and interaction. This is undertaken by your designated Case Manager.
3) Verification – This is undertaken by independent third-party verifiers and usually takes 3 months from submission to final score.
4) Certification - Projects will be awarded an IS Rating based on an overall score:
For IS version 1:
- 25-49+ - Commended
- 50-74+ - Excellent
- 75+ - Leading
For IS version 2:
- 20-39 - Bronze
- 40-59 - Silver
- 60-79 - Gold
- 80- 94 – Platinum
- 95+ - Diamond
At this stage, ISCA celebrates with the project team, and organises certification activities and media publications.