Mott MacDonald, together with Anglian Water, Skanska, Transport for London, UKCRIC and the UK Green Building Council has formed a coalition to identify and begin tackling the infrastructure sector’s key challenges, if it is to play its part in creating a climate stable future.

An urgent transformation of the UK’s infrastructure is required to respond to climate change - the coalition is focussed on how the net-zero transformation can be achieved

The government has legislated to build a net-zero economy by 2050. By doing so, the UK will not only end its contribution to further global warming but position itself as an international leader exploiting the economic and societal opportunities presented by this generational mission.

Sam Friggens, senior consultant for energy strategy and innovation at Mott MacDonald, who has led on creating the group, explained:

“We are a group of infrastructure industry organisations with many decades’ experience creating and operating major infrastructure both in the UK and around the world.”

“Our insights are underpinned by a deep understanding of technical and commercial realities as well as the challenges inherent in delivering infrastructure at scale and pace. We bring leading expertise from across the energy, water, transport and buildings sectors and a commitment to working across industry and with government to develop the technologies, skills, supply chains, regulatory frameworks and planning regimes to build a net-zero economy.”

The coalition’s objectives are to:

• Identify the necessary enabling environment (policies, incentives and regulations) to deliver net-zero while minimising costs and maximising wider environmental, social and economic benefits across all regions of the UK.
• Develop a practical understanding of the urgent activities and critical paths for the most difficult (and often least-understood) areas of new economic infrastructure required for net-zero, such as net-zero industrial clusters, the hydrogen economy and nation-wide electric vehicle charging.
• Bring a collaborative, mission-oriented whole-system approach (based on systems thinking and systems engineering principles) to all aspects of planning and delivering infrastructure for net-zero, recognising the interactions between infrastructure sectors.
• Provide a collaborative hub for infrastructure industry efforts on net-zero, convene cross-sector expertise in partnership with government and mobilise and communicate industry action on net-zero.

Dr Simon Harrison, Mott MacDonald’s Group strategic development manager, said:

“Our aim is to bring together expertise from leading organisations across the infrastructure sector who share the belief that transitioning to a net-zero economy is not just essential but achievable and beneficial. It’s about doing what is both right and good for business. It’s about exploring how we can develop a joint response to the challenge of achieving net-zero. We invite others to join us.”

The group has identified five overarching challenges it says must be urgently addressed to build the infrastructure needed to achieve net-zero by 2050:

1. Deliver an urgent transition in a flexible way

2. Develop institutional and regulatory frameworks for net-zero

3. Mobilise and transform supply chains

4. Maximise the benefits

5. Minimise costs, mobilise finance

The group has discussed its aims and will co-ordinate its activities with the Committee on Climate Change, National Infrastructure Commission, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Treasury and the Infrastructure & Projects Authority, as well as the Aldersgate Group, Green Construction Board, Energy Systems Catapult and Major Projects Association.

The Committee on Climate Change has welcomed the coalition’s formation, commenting:

“In May we provided our advice to the UK government to set an ambitious new target for the UK to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Now that Parliament has adopted this target it is urgent for all sections of society to come together to make sure we achieve it. Ending the UK’s contribution to global warming requires ambitious action across all sectors of UK’s economy, and we are delighted to see the infrastructure industry coming together to help deliver this objective. We look forward to supporting this initiative.”

The group’s mission statement has flagged up two overarching requirements for infrastructure in mitigating climate change.

1. Infrastructure assets must have the lowest possible whole life GHG emissions. This ultimately means decarbonising materials like concrete and steel and using low-carbon energy in asset construction and use, as well as minimising end-user emissions.

2. The overall scale, pace and type of infrastructure built across the economy must be aligned to net-zero.

The coalition is keen for other organisations in the infrastructure sector to get involved:

“As we move forward we would welcome the participation of others involved in the delivery and operation of infrastructure who are committed to net-zero. We invite our colleagues in the infrastructure industry to join us and bring your expertise to bear in solving the most urgent challenge of this century.”

“Collectively we can shape the UK’s transition to net-zero and gain from the global opportunities this will bring.”

Click here to read the coalition’s mission statement: Building a net-zero economy