How the highways supply chain can contribute to a connected and thriving environment

Learn more about National Highways' Environmental Sustainability Strategy

National Highways’ Net Zero Highways Plan is now integrated into The Environmental Sustainability Strategy, which includes the target of net zero emissions in the maintenance and construction of the network by 2040.

All partners who work across the highways network have many opportunities to deliver real impact in reducing carbon and limit global warming. Advances in standards, approaches, techniques, and materials, are increasingly ensuring targets are translated into reality.

Lean construction and optimised asset delivery to deliver net zero

Alignment to PAS2080, the global applicable standard for carbon accounting is critical. It provides a framework that can be applied to new infrastructure and the retrofitting of existing assets that ensures carbon reduction targets are set, reduction opportunities are maximised, measured and extended through the supply chain. This framework is being applied on the A358, where a fully aligned carbon management plan is in place.

Avoiding emissions wherever possible is always the most desirable path, the industry needs to examine how we can prevent, minimise, and remove carbon. This includes extending the life of existing assets, adjusting designs to deliver lean construction, recycling and re-using materials and existing infrastructure assets to support the circular economy.

With vast swaths of highway corridors that connect places and people, there is opportunity for renewable energy generation, that not only supports highways operations, but electrification of the UK vehicle fleet, decarbonisation of heavy goods vehicles and also local communities through heat networks.

With remaining emissions, we need to think differently, exploring opportunities through nature based solutions or plan for emerging technologies such as carbon capture and storage.

Over the past 50 years, wildlife populations around the globe have fallen by 69%. This decline is not expected to slow down, halt, or be reversed any time soon. Biodiversity loss can disrupt the balance of ecosystems that both people and nature depend on.

Purposeful interventions to create regenerative solutions will boost our ecosystems.

With over 30,000 hectares of unpaved National Highways land, the opportunity to create climate resilient landscapes and species rich habitats is substantial. We must look beyond doing less harm to doing more good, and creating regenerative solutions that replenish resources and producing new means to sustainably nourish places and communities. The starting point is always to understand the quality of existing biodiversity and examine ways to enable nature to thrive.

Through purposeful interventions that integrate nature-based solutions into how we plan, design, build and reconstruct our infrastructure, buildings and urban spaces, we can deliver a richer, resilient and more biodiverse environment.