Step on the gas

摘要

A major rethink on how infrastructure is planned, built and utilised is required as part of the national strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to a report from the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) entitled Building a sustainable future, this requires a whole-life approach to carbon assessment, not solely assessing the carbon used in construction but balancing this with the carbon used during the operational lifespan as well. In the case of the roads network, this would mean considering the carbon emitted by vehicles using the road over its lifetime and finding ways to drive it down through innovative design choices.