Civil engineers must embrace whole life carbon management, says ICE

Whole life carbon management must become the norm in the infrastructure sector, the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has said. 

The trade body’s ‘state of the nation’ report noted the influence civil engineers have over the lifetime of the structures they help build and urged them to use this power to encourage better practice. 

ICE encouraged the uptake of ‘PAS 2028:2023 Carbon management in buildings and infrastructure’ as a global standard for whole-life carbon reduction.

It also said that the circularity of wind and solar assets should be a key focus within the low-carbon energy space, advising the design of modular parts to prolong the lifespan of assets.  

“Waste from all sectors needs to be reduced if climate ambitions are to be met, and renewable energy is no exception,” the report said. 

The report also advocated the use of nature-based solutions to flooding instead of hard infrastructure and suggested the transport sector adopt emerging technologies and learn from “industrialised projects in other sectors” to regain public confidence after the HS2 cancellation. 

>>See also: England needs transport infrastructure plan, says ICE as Commons launches inquiry 

>>See also: ICE demands mandatory reporting on cost of adapting infrastructure to changing climate 

ICE vice president David Porter said civil engineers could help the world deliver the UN Sustainable Development Goals, targets for which are currently being missed. 

“However, the task is complex, and it can be difficult to know where to focus. In this report, we have identified key things that civil engineers and other infrastructure professionals can do now to make more positive progress in the areas we know they can have the most impact – carbon management, low carbon energy, and in the water and transport sectors,” he said.