Ricardo confirmed as Independent Verifier for OECD’s Blue Dot Network infrastructure certification scheme

Ricardo has been appointed by the OECD Secretariat as an Independent Verifier for the Blue Dot Network, a new international certification scheme for major infrastructure supported by the governments of Australia, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, Türkiye, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Launched in April 2024, the Blue Dot Network aims to encourage investment towards projects within the energy, transport, technology and water sectors that will have a positive and sustainable impact on communities.

To secure certification, projects must be able to demonstrate they have met criteria across a range of economic, social, environmental, governance and development factors.

These include, for example, evidence that the designs have considered potential climate change impacts and align with 2050 net zero emissions targets; that the project has been developed under sound financial management with full debt transparency; and, once operational, will uphold the highest standards of sustainability, inclusivity and respect for labour and human rights.

Certifications will only be issued following a detailed assessment by an approved independent body such as Ricardo who will be responsible for checking all available evidence and data sources. 

The request for certification is voluntary and is a decision made by project owners and sponsors to demonstrate that they adhere to global quality infrastructure standards.

Edwin Lau, Head of the Blue Dot Network Secretariat, commented: “We are pleased to have Ricardo consultants on board as independent verifiers of the global standards encompassed in the Blue Dot Network certification framework. Harmonised certification will send a clear signal to investors and other stakeholders of the robustness, resilience and positive impact of infrastructure projects around the world”.

A key factor in the Blue Dot Network Secretariat’s decision to appoint Ricardo as one of its launch certification partners was our experience in providing engineering assurance services. Our assurance teams have performed a range of third-party auditing and verification roles in the transport sector, assessing the quality or safety standards of projects such as the construction of the Taiwan High Speed Railway, the extension of the Bangkok Metro, and the launch of the Dubai Tram network.

For the Blue Dot Network scheme the processes of our audit teams will be coupled with the expertise of Ricardo’s global consultancy teams in sectors such as mining, energy infrastructure, aviation and water.

Rachel White, Global President, Clean Energy and Environmental Solutions, and Lorenzo Casullo, European Regional Director, recently attended a ceremony to mark the launch of the Network in Paris as part of the Executive Consultation Group.

Speaking at the event, Rachel commented “As a global company committed to a safe and sustainable world, we are excited to support the push towards global standards for quality infrastructure. We will leverage our experience in certification, policy implementation and sustainability advisory to ensure that the Blue Dot Network becomes a useful framework for all parties and that the programme continues to grow as a benchmark for all future infrastructure investment”.

_{Ricardo's Lorenzo Casullo, European Regional Director, and Rachel White, Global President, Clean Energy and Environmental Solutions}