Government policy in Wales is moving at pace towards a “net zero” future and this is no more apparent than in the area of transportation with roads projects being “paused” or cancelled as we await the outcome of the Welsh Government’s “Roads Review”. Either way it is likely to lead to more change (and potentially in England and Scotland too) with investment streams being redirected to lower carbon transport solutions especially around rail, bus travel, active travel and investment in our existing assets. The recent Partnership Agreement between Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru is also placing great emphasis on social housing, renewable energy projects, water quality and supply, biodiversity and flood risk management. The report Decarbonising Our Infrastructure (Datgarboneiddio Ein Seilwaith) produced by CECA Wales following our conference with the Association of Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) and the County Surveyors Society (CSS) already gives us an action plan to take forward changes across our sector.
In 2022 our aim is to support construction clients to reduce the carbon footprint of infrastructure projects across Wales by working with the Welsh Construction Forum and other partners to implement the CECA Wales Action Plan based on our 2021 Decarbonising Our Infrastructure report. This will involve 4 key themes:
- Justification – ensuring that carbon performance is embedded in investment justification models
- Procurement – ensuring that procurement processes reflect carbon performance
- Materials and technology – ensuring that the choice of materials and technologies reflects carbon performance
- Business Development – supporting businesses towards a zero carbon future
We’ll also be supporting members to decarbonise their operations by
- Providing guidance on ways to reduce their carbon footprint
- Improving their understanding of carbon management planning for SMEs