ICE Carbon Champions Award For CTLR
Six engineers from Perth & Kinross Council and Sweco, one of the designers of the Cross Tay Link Road project, have been awarded the accolade of Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Carbon Champions for their work on decarbonising the build through the design and procurement process.
The engineers awarded the title are:
- David Jackson (Sweco)
- Helene Piellard (Sweco)
- Jillian Ferguson (PKC)
- Ross Fletcher (PCK)
- Lewis Barlow (formally Sweco now WSP)
- Kirsten Leggatt (formally Sweco now Arup)
Perth and Kinross Council (asset owner) and Sweco (designer) worked in collaboration, with a focus on minimising the carbon output and environmental impacts of the project at design stage.
Several opportunities were identified, after which Sweco supported the development of the tender documents with PKC, including carbon in the weighted evaluation criteria.
Jillian Fergusson, Roads Infrastructure Manager for PKC, commented, “We worked in unison to embed the carbon requirements within the procurement process for the build phase of the project. With the carbon baseline set, those wishing to tender had to demonstrate how they would achieve a further 30% reduction against the specimen design.”
The proposed carbon savings stated were then implemented as a contractual Key Performance Indicator in the awarded contract to BAM UK & Ireland, the main contractor for the build phase of CTLR.
Jillian continued, “Contractual measures have been put in place to ensure there remains a focus on embodied carbon with savings measured and reported, along with a penalty if they fail to meet these targets. We’re now halfway through the build, and we can report we are on target to achieve a 45.5% reduction against the baseline (specimen design).
“To have our work recognised by the Institution of Civil Engineers is a real honour, and I’d like to thank everyone who worked on achieving these ground-breaking results.”
This innovative approach to carbon savings has now been embedded in the recently updated PAS 2080:2023 – Carbon Management in Buildings and Infrastructure guideline document as an example of best practice for procurement.
David Jackson, Principal Carbon Consultant, Sweco commented, “Embedding carbon requirements into the contractual obligations has challenged the main contractor to seriously consider carbon impact on the Cross Tay Link Road project. This innovative approach by PKC has led to significant carbon reductions being achieved through both design and procurement and has shaped how the industry as a whole will deliver large infrastructure projects.”
About the ICE Carbon Champions initiative
The ICE Carbon Champions programme recognises decarbonisation efforts from across the civil engineering community and provides recognition for project owners as well as best practice insights and expertise for the wider industry.
The programme is part of former ICE President Rachel Skinner’s Shaping Zero initiative, designed to enable civil engineers to implement the drive to net zero. It forms part of the ongoing efforts of the institution to place the decarbonisation of the industry at the heart of its, and the sector’s, agenda, in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs).
Rachel Skinner, former ICE President, said: “It is human nature to think that disasters and problems will happen to someone else, somewhere else, but the reality is climate change is and will continue to affect each and every one of us – and we all have a responsibility to make positive change.
“These individuals, through their hard work and innovative thinking, are doing just that – delivering real change within the industry to help reduce the amount of carbon produced by infrastructure. In celebrating these achievements, we want to recognise this, but also educate and inspire others to look at what they can do in their own projects.”
What is PAS 2080 certification/verification?
PAS 2080 is the leading standard for carbon management solutions in buildings and infrastructure development. Sometimes mistakenly referred to as PAS 2080 certification, PAS 2080 is a verification scheme to assess compliance. The standard’s development has been supported by the building and construction industry leaders, such as Skanska, Mott MacDonald, National Grid, and Anglian Water.
The standard applies to new projects or programs of work, as well as the management or retrofit of existing assets and networks. This means that any new buildings or infrastructure projects should consider the carbon footprint throughout their entire lifecycle, from design and construction to operation and end-of-life.