Infrastructure Carbon Review: critical challenge

Peter Hansford
01 October 2014

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Sustainability

When I started as Government Chief Construction Adviser I was conscious that as an industry we had two apparently conflicting challenges – to reduce the cost of creating our built assets and to reduce the carbon emissions resulting from their construction and operation.  

The cost challenge is the domain of the Cabinet Office, Infrastructure UK and the Government Construction Board.  The carbon challenge is owned by the Green Construction Board (GCB), an industry-Government partnership.  

From the outset I was very keen to find a way of addressing this conflict. In short, we need to do both – but how?  The Infrastructure Carbon Review goes a long way to providing the answer.

Since November 2013, major companies – clients, contractors, consultants and product manufacturers – have endorsed the key principles and pledged their commitment to using new technologies, techniques, processes and materials to reduce carbon and reduce costs.

My predecessor, Paul Morrell worked hard to demonstrate the case for a low carbon built environment.  The Low Carbon Routemap to 2050 was published in March 2013. Since then the GCB developed and driven carbon reduction measures across the construction industry.  The GCB’s Infrastructure Working Group is chaired by Anglian Water’s Chris Newsome.

The Infrastructure Carbon Review One-Year-On Conference is on 27 October. This is a valuable opportunity for industry and Government to come together to explore progress made over the last year since the Infrastructure Carbon Review was published.  

The really important finding is that low carbon can equal low cost. This is a game changer. No longer are we looking at reducing carbon emissions at a premium. By finding ways to actively reduce whole-life carbon emissions, we are also reducing whole-life costs.  The challenge is to transfer this learning to other parts of the built environment.

The Infrastructure Carbon Review One-Year-On conference 

Date: 27 October

Venue: BIS conference centre, Victoria Street, London

 

To register your interest in attending this free event email nicola.walters@bis.gsi.gov.uk

Since November 2013, major companies – clients, contractors, consultants and product manufacturers – have endorsed the key principles and pledged their commitment to using new technologies, techniques, processes and materials to reduce carbon and reduce costs. 

The aim is to cut over 20M tonnes of carbon a year from the construction and operation of the UK’s infrastructure assets by 2050, without increasing costs – indeed at lower cost.

I’m looking forward to the conference. We’ll be hearing from Government and all parts of industry on the progress being made. And I’m sure many other companies will pledge their commitments. 

Why wouldn’t they?  After all it makes great business sense and demonstrates real progress towards caring for our environment.

Peter Hansford is the Government's chief construction advisor