Client organisations need to take a leadership role in demanding carbon reductions from their supply chains, says Anglian Water's Chris Newsome.

Making the step change from discussing carbon to delivering low carbon low cost solutions is being made by an increasing number of large infrastructure client organisations – but not all !

Organisations who measure and reduce both capital and operational carbon will recognise a number of the key messages and practical recommendations of the HM Treasury Infrastructure Carbon review, launched in November 2013.

The evidence from the review is clear, client organisations need to take a leadership role in demanding carbon reductions from their supply chains and in return be responsive to the opportunities they offer.

"The goals we have are backed up by a robust governance process where the carbon emissions of solutions put forward are challenged on three separate occasions prior to construction commencing on site. This is an important leadership principle".

In 2006 as part of our long term strategic planning, we made the link between carbon, raw materials and cost in capital schemes we were delivering. With this link in mind and the foresight of our economic regulator (Ofwat) requiring water companies to measure and report capital and operational carbon in five year business plans, our carbon journey commenced.

With a process in place for measuring and reporting capital and operational carbon our first step at Board level was to agree challenging carbon goals to create the focus and behaviours within our own organisation and our supply chain to deliver low carbon low cost solutions.

The goals we have are backed up by a robust governance process where the carbon emissions of solutions put forward are challenged on three separate occasions prior to construction commencing on site. This is an important leadership principle we have applied, with clear goals portraying the boards vision backed by a policy of intervention and challenge to individual design teams and engineers.

This is not a short term initiative within Anglian Water and we have now announced our new carbon goals including reducing capital carbon by 60% by 2020 from a 2010 baseline.

The step change within Anglian Water came when our supply chain started to prove the concept of low carbon solutions, delivering business efficiency in design and construction of infrastructure assets.  Traditionally we installed water mains through an open cut technique of excavating a trench, laying the main and reinstating the trench. Our focus being on the pipe supplier to reduce carbon emissions and cost in the product being supplied. Through our modelling and measurement of capital carbon, we recognised that for a small diameter pipe, over 80% of the carbon emissions were associated with excavating and re-instating the trench in a road.

Prior to 2010, less than 10% of our water mains were installed through no–dig techniques, compared to over 70% today. The avoidance of digging trenches for small diameter mains has not only reduced carbon, but also reduced the use of finite materials and reduced cost.

This example simply illustrates that as a client we have taken the lead in challenging our supply chain to reduce carbon emissions. As quoted in the infrastructure carbon review, ‘the greatest benefit comes from joining up the value chain, with the client taking the lead in defining low carbon targets and being responsive to the opportunities that are offered. That’s what leads to positive sustainable outcomes’.

Chris Newsome is Asset Management Director at Anglian Water,  a member of the Green Construction Board and chair of its Infrastructure Working Group

The Infrastructure Carbon Review One-Year-On conference 

Monday 27th October 2014, 09:50 to 13:00. Registration from 09:30.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ Conference Centre, 

1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET.

The Infrastructure Carbon Review One-Year-On conference is designed specifically to explain to business and commercial benefits across the industry of embracing the principles of the GCB Infrastructure Carbon Review which was launched at the end of 2013.

The morning conference aims to share business experiences and successes where companies have embedded these values; and convince others of the value of the initiative. 

New construction minister Nick Boles will speak alongside Infrastructure minister Lord Deighton, Green Construction Board industry co-chair and Skanska UK chief executive Mike Putnam and chief construction advisor Peter Hansford.

The principal objectives of the conference will be to:

• Encourage the value chain to take action in reducing carbon and reducing cost in infrastructure
• Re-enforce the key messages of the Infrastructure Carbon Review: that a low carbon approach is a critical business driver
• Maintain the momentum of this message since the launch of the review in November 2013 and update on actions ‘one year on’
• Encourage new participants to pledge commitment to meeting the objectives of the Infrastructure Carbon Review
• Share best practice from across the supply and help the whole value chain to learn from others, boost performance and drive innovation.

To register your interest in attending this free event email nicola.walters@bis.gsi.gov.uk.

http://www.greenconstructionboard.org/index.php/resources/infrastructure-carbon-review