CoST – the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative is a global non-profit working to deliver more effective and sustainable infrastructure through greater transparency, accountability and participation.

The global infrastructure challenge

Infrastructure is central to economic growth, public services and climate resilience. Yet governments face growing pressure to deliver quality infrastructure while managing rising debt, constrained aid and increasing climate adaptation costs.

Corruption, inefficiency and weak oversight mean investment too often fails to deliver its full benefits. The IMF estimates that around 30% of the potential value of public investment is lost through inefficiency. Meanwhile, the Global Infrastructure Hub projects a US$15 trillion global infrastructure investment gap by 2040.

Closing this gap and improving how investment is managed is essential to supporting businesses, creating jobs and driving economic growth. Transparency, accountability and participation help public money go further, strengthen investor confidence and deliver infrastructure that meets people’s needs.

How we work

CoST was launched globally in 2012 with support from the World Bank, following a three-year pilot in eight countries. Today, we bring together national and sub-national governments, the private sector and civil society to improve how infrastructure is planned, procured and delivered.

We combine locally led reform with international best practice to help governments turn infrastructure data into practical improvements that deliver better infrastructure for people. We offer:

We work with partners at local and international levels to extend our reach, share expertise and support lasting improvements in infrastructure. Our work is guided by our core values: transparency and accountability, collaboration and partnership, and participation and equity.

We want transparency, participation and accountability to become standard practice throughout the infrastructure lifecycle so that public money goes further, businesses compete fairly and communities have a say in decisions that affect them.

→ Explore our approach
→ See where we work
→ Discover our impact
→ Read our Strategy
→ Meet our partners

Get to know CoST

Meet the International Secretariat Team and Board behind CoST, and find out how you can work or partner with us to bring about better infrastructure.

→ Meet our people
→ Work with us
→ Partner with us

Our accountability

We believe in being open and transparent about our own organisation – how we make decisions, how we are funded, how we use our resources and manage information.

→ Learn about our governance
→ View our finances
→ Read our information policies

Stay connected

Have a question about CoST or want to discuss working together? Get in touch, follow us on social media or sign up to our newsletter.

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