Publicly Available Specification - Equity Lens Infrastructure

This document represents an invitation to Bidders to submit their proposals to the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) for SCC is seeking a Supplier to develop a Publicly Available Specification (PAS) that outlines guidance and provides the necessary framework to apply an equity lens to disaster and climate resilient infrastructure project design and portfolio management.

The purpose of the PAS is to help asset owners and municipalities with decision making and risk management relating to their infrastructure by providing guidance on how to prioritize construction, operation and retrofit in the context of climate change adaptation based on who uses the infrastructure, what their needs are, who would be most affected by climate impacts and hazards, and how to address their needs through the design of the infrastructure.

While there are numerous benefits to mainstreaming gender and equity into infrastructure decision making, such as removing barriers to economic opportunities and improving access to labor markets that would otherwise be inaccessible, the focus of this guidance is risk mitigation concerning groups disproportionately affected by climate change and natural disasters.