As the defining force of the Anthropocene, human enterprise is reshaping Earth's surface and climate. As part of that process, growth‐inducing infrastructure, such as electrical transmission lines, export facilities, and roads, presents nonincremental changes in where and how natural resources are exploited. These projects open intact areas, induce or intensify industrial development, and accelerate carbon emissions. The direct impacts of large‐scale infrastructure are widely acknowledged and policy and legislation exists to account for them in environmental decisions. Yet, decision makers often ignore the secondary, growth‐induced effects, even though they can outweigh the impacts of the initial development. Given the extensive area and magnitude of such impacts, we argue that regulatory or funding approvals for growth‐inducing infrastructure represent keystone decisions. Credible approval processes require the consideration of the full range of impacts resulting from the ensuing growth. This will necessitate a shift in assessment thinking, from the traditional focus on the immediate project footprint to one that recognizes the sustainability implications of approving infrastructure that will transform the trajectory of development at regional and national scales. We identify the characteristics of growth‐inducing infrastructure and provide an overview of methods and policy that can facilitate a deliberate assessment of these keystone decisions.

中文翻译：

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促进增长的基础设施代表了变革性但被忽视的关键环境决策

作为人类世的决定性力量，人类事业正在重塑地球的表面和气候。作为该过程的一部分，诸如电力传输线，出口设施和道路之类的促进增长的基础设施在自然资源的开采地点和开采方式方面呈现出非增量式的变化。这些项目开放了完整的区域，诱导或加强了工业发展，并加速了碳排放。大规模基础设施的直接影响已广为人知，并且已有政策和法规在环境决策中予以考虑。然而，决策者通常会忽略由增长引起的次要影响，即使它们可以抵消初始开发的影响。鉴于此类影响的范围和广度，我们认为，促进增长的基础设施的监管或资金批准是关键的决定。可信的审批流程需要考虑到随之而来的增长所带来的全部影响。这将有必要将评估思维从传统的重点放在直接关注项目足迹转移到认识到批准基础设施将对区域和国家规模的发展轨迹进行转变的可持续性影响的评估思维。我们确定了诱发增长的基础设施的特征，并概述了有助于对这些关键决策进行有意评估的方法和政策。这将有必要将评估思维从传统的重点放在直接关注项目足迹转移到认识到批准基础设施将对区域和国家规模的发展轨迹进行转变的可持续性影响的评估思维。我们确定了诱发增长的基础设施的特征，并概述了有助于对这些关键决策进行有意评估的方法和政策。这将有必要将评估思维从传统的重点放在直接关注项目足迹转移到认识到批准基础设施将对区域和国家规模的发展轨迹进行转变的可持续性影响的评估思维。我们确定了诱发增长的基础设施的特征，并概述了有助于对这些关键决策进行有意评估的方法和政策。