Infrastructure performance

While from a societal perspective, the energy efficiency of homes and related products currently enjoy a high profile, the way infrastructure is designed, constructed and operated also has a significant influence on energy use and carbon generation. This can vary from a consideration of major earth moving on large civil projects, the grades of transport corridors, efficiency of mechanical plant etc.

Moving the UK to a low carbon economy will require a rapid shift of energy supply to low carbon sources, electrification of transport and reduced demand for energy, transport and water and waste management facilities.

Engineers and other built environment professionals are looking at systems approaches to manage the carbon impact across the Uks interdependent energy, transport, waste and water networks.

Selected briefing

1) ICE: State of the Nation: Low Carbon infrastructure
Download full report (pdf)

People are increasingly aware of the impact of carbon emissions on climate change. Well-designed infrastructure has a major role in creating an environment in which people and businesses can alter their behaviour – in their travel habits, their consumption of water and power, and in how their waste is managed
This study brought together the views of fifty organisations on the short term, medium term and long term solutions to the promotion of a low carbon infrastructure.

Many of the largest sources of carbon emissions are currently associated with the construction, operation, maintenance and use of infrastructure in particular in the energy, transport, water and waste sectors. This ICE inquiry suggests that many of the technologies and practices we need to create significant change in these sectors already exist, but their delivery is constrained by unfavourable investment and delivery conditions.

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Policy & regulation

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Measurement and reporting tools

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Building performance

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Infrastructure performance

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Procurement, clients and ownership

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Generation and storage

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Macro-scale issues