Tag: climate

The Climate Emergency & Infrastructure Constructive Conversations – 24 April 2024

In this session we discussed embedding sustainable procurement practices in construction of active travel infrastructure. What sustainable materials are out there? What should you be considering in terms of cost vs benefit? What should you be asking for from suppliers and contractors you engage to carry out work on your projects?

Our expert panel spent half an hour discussing these questions and more around procurement in the construction industry, and for active travel in particular.

Following watching the recording you may find it useful to take a few minutes to reflect on the discussion.

• What is still circling around in your head on this topic?
• What do you feel is ‘squared away’ – you feel you have a much clearer understanding of?
• What key takeaways or highlights do you have from the discussion?

Feedback Survey

We would appreciate you taking a moment to complete our short feedback survey after you’ve watched the recording.

Further Information

Below are contact details for some of our panelists if you wish to contact them directly, and some links to further information relating to this topic that you may find useful.

• David Manson, Special Project Officer, Ayrshire Roads Alliance – david.manson@ayrshireroadsalliance.org
• Philip Duddell, Director, Sustainable Procurement Ltd – philip@sustainableprocurement.eu.com
• Charlotte Smart, Procurement Manager, Sustrans – Charlotte.Smart@sustrans.org.uk

Useful Links

Sustainable Procurement Ltd provides services for public and private sector procurers, as well as private and third sector suppliers. Services range from sustainable procurement strategy for clients to innovation in the supply of specific products and services – Sustainable Procurement Limited – Homepage

Sustrans has been working to decarbonise our activities. if you would like to see our Carbon Reduction Plan, you can find it here: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/legal/

The Procura+ Network has been developed by and for procurers and staff dealing with sustainability and innovation issues in public authorities. There is a fee to join the network, but the website also has a wealth of case studies and resources from across the EU. Procura+ |  Procura+ European Sustainable Procurement Network (procuraplus.org)

The Scottish Government Sustainable Procurement duty requires Local Authorities to set out in procurement strategies how they intend to comply with the duty, and to report annually on progress. Sustainable procurement duty – Public sector procurement – gov.scot (www.gov.scot) In addition, there is a set of resources to help local authorities embed this work https://sustainableprocurementtools.scot/

 Zero Waste Scotland has developed an online interactive guide to reduce waste, and enhance reuse and recycling, through design and resource efficiency for construction, renovation and demolition, it was developed back in 2016 so some of the targets have shifted, but the same principles would apply. https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/resources/procuring-resource-efficient-construction-projects

Phil has provided this example of a trialed low carbon aggregate. Sustrans cannot make any recommendations regarding this material here. If you think it would be suitable for use in a Sustrans funded project you are working on, please discuss this with your grant advisor. https://www.lowcarbonmaterials.com/acla

About Constructive conversations

Grab a cuppa, get comfortable and join us for some informal constructive conversations about some of the challenges in delivering active travel infrastructure.

At each 1 hour session, our expert panel will spend half an hour discussing key questions and more around the chosen topic. Following this, you can take part in an optional small group discussion where you can share your own experiences on the topic, present a related issue in a live project, and receive advice and feedback from peers.

Other sessions

The ‘Climate Emergency and Infrastructure’ series of constructive conversations explores sustainability in construction of active travel projects.

The ‘By Design’ series of constructive conversations explores how urban design in active travel projects can help to address some of the big issues facing society today.

The Climate Emergency & Infrastructure Constructive Conversations – 24 January 2024.

In this session we took a deep dive into the refreshed PAS 2080 standard (the standard for managing carbon in infrastructure). What does the introduction of this standard mean for active travel infrastructure projects? How can it be embedded into working practices, and what do project teams need to be thinking about so that they are ready for the changes it will bring to construction requirements?

Our expert panel spent half an hour discussing these questions and more around how PAS 2080 can help speed up decarbonisation in the built environment sector.

Following watching the recording you may find it useful to take a few minutes to reflect on the discussion.

• What is still circling around in your head on this topic?
• What do you feel is ‘squared away’ – you feel you have a much clearer understanding of?
• What key takeaways or highlights do you have from the discussion?

Feedback Survey

We would appreciate you taking a moment to complete our short feedback survey after you’ve watched the recording.

Further Information

Below are contact details for some of our panelists if you wish to contact them directly, and some links to further information relating to this topic that you may find useful.

• Maria Manidaki,  Technical Director – Decarbonisation, Mott MacDonald
• Helene Piellard, Assistant Carbon Management Consultant, SWECO UK – helene.piellard@sweco.co.uk
• Daniel Prince, Senior Grant Advisor and Carbon Emissions lead, Sustrans – daniel.prince@sustrans.org.uk

Useful Links & Resources

• Link to the PAS 2080 Standard: Carbon management in buildings and infrastructure

• Guidance on the use of PAS 2080 – Practical actions and examples to accelerate the decarbonisation of buildings and infrastructure

• Our panelist, Maria, suggested looking at the ‘PAS City’ example on page 24 in the above guidance, which illustrates a worked example of a fictional project and how they applied the PAS 2080 carbon management process and the key decarbonisation principles.

• Insights on PAS 2080: PAS 2080 (2023) Standard & Guidance Summary | Sweco UK

• Sweco’s work with Ayrshire Road Alliance: active travel & placemaking

• Best practice to encourage active travel modes of transport: Sweco takes sustainability challenge in its stride with Active Travel Scheme of the Year nomination

• Insights on Net Zero Cities: How to create a net zero strategy for your city | Sweco UK

• Sweco UK’s carbon services

• Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation: Environmental Impact Assessment Consultants | Sweco UK

About Constructive conversations

Grab a cuppa, get comfortable and join us for some informal constructive conversations about some of the challenges in delivering active travel infrastructure.

At each 1 hour session, our expert panel will spend half an hour discussing key questions and more around the chosen topic. Following this, you can take part in an optional small group discussion where you can share your own experiences on the topic, present a related issue in a live project, and receive advice and feedback from peers.

Other sessions

The ‘Climate Emergency and Infrastructure’ series of constructive conversations explores sustainability in construction of active travel projects.

The ‘By Design’ series of constructive conversations explores how urban design in active travel projects can help to address some of the big issues facing society today.

Look out for more series on different topics in future, and if there is a topic you would like to suggest for a series, or a standalone session, please do get in touch with us placesforeveryone@sustrans.org.uk.