Shaping zero: responding to the infrastructure challenge

70% of carbon emissions can be traced back to infrastructure; the role that civil engineers will play in society’s response to climate change is not to be underestimated. The carbon impact of the infrastructure we create is determined by multiple factors, from the materials and construction techniques we use, to the behaviours we enable.

To reach net zero, we must half lifecycle emissions by the end of 2030 across all sectors. If we are to do our part in time, as an industry, we must lead the charge in redefining carbon emissions reduction from a value-add, to a core, success-defining factor.

A new calling: climate change

The imperative challenge of addressing climate change for many of us, harks back to why we became engineers; to make the world a better place.

Reducing carbon needs to be the ongoing focus of today’s engineers and all those that follow in their footsteps. Public momentum is behind us. On multiple occasions, the message has been made clear: business as usual is no longer welcome. The time is now to explore new ways to create infrastructure, rather than rely on manufacturers and research institutes to develop alternative options for us.

The transport industry is key to strengthening sustainability in the near term, because of its staying power – indeed some of Network Rail's bridges and cuttings are still in operation 200 years later. Designing intelligently and building efficiently are key. Sourcing low carbon materials and factoring in gradient adjustments on highways and railways, for example, can create significant carbon savings over time.

There can also be a misconception that reducing carbon comes at a premium. However, if projects factor in the lifecycle cost and associated impacts of not reducing carbon, it becomes clear that action now will serve positively later. Equally, as carbon taxes become more commonplace, economic return will be increasingly apparent.

Breaking the status quo

It is possible that we have stayed in the background for too long, when in fact we are more qualified than most to engineer solutions that can help deliver a net zero world. It is our professional duty to act, rather than wait to be instructed.

Sustainability must be treated as a core part of every engineering project. And to achieve this, we must operate cohesively as an industry, pooling expertise to create sustainable opportunities. 

Utilising under-appreciated treasures, such as billions of gallons of mine water, to provide a reliable, low-cost and low carbon neighbourhood heating solution is one such opportunity. With the aid of technological drivers, smarter urban designs, systems, services, and use of real-time data we can offer tailored, smart and sustainable engineering solutions, to make a positive impact on societies around the globe. These next-generation solutions redefine old infrastructure and can transform liabilities into assets.

Our thinking must also stretch beyond the projects’ use and lifecycle. For transport infrastructure, how people and goods travel  is an ever-evolving consideration. We need to engineer urban areas to integrate different door-to-door options – with agility at their heart, to effectively accommodate changes on the horizon. Decommissioning must also be considered – the 20th century is littered with design mistakes where this has not been given proper thought. We need to consider how to reduce, reuse and recycle across the full supply chain.

A daunting challenge? Yes. But one that we are trained to overcome. Ahead, we are faced with a vast set of unusual but exciting sustainability problems that offer every engineer an opportunity to leave their mark on the world.

By Alistair Kean, environmental director at COWI