The delivery of long-term sustainable transport infrastructure will be one of the major challenges which transport engineering professionals face in a changing climate.
For transportation professionals the increase in the demand for transport as well as the pressure to develop ‘clean’ methods of transportation represent major challenges at a time when the reality of climate change is generally no longer questioned. In addition, essential infrastructure, which enables safe and reliable use of road, rail and air travel, is clearly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
In 2006, the UK Climate Change Programme set out Government policies to reduce carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions in six sectors including transport. These policies led to The Climate Change Act 2008, which makes the UK the first country in the world to have a legally binding long-term plan to cut carbon emissions. It also creates a framework for building the UK's ability to adapt to climate change.
In order to keep ICE members informed on the Climate Change Agenda, particularly for those members involved with transportation, this output forms an introductory Briefing Note designed to be the first of a series of briefing notes for ICE members to help meet the Climate Change mitigation and adaptation challenges.
In considering these challenges, ICE will be identifying the transportation issues considered to be affected by, or may influence directly or indirectly, climate change and its consequential impacts.
This will include current mitigating, adaptation and retrofitting initiatives, having regard to the implications for civil engineers responsible for delivering and maintaining transportation infrastructure and enabling them to keep abreast of changes in technical requirements. Additionally, it will demonstrate how carbon on transport projects can be measured and potentially reduced, with updates providing examples of good practice, new initiatives and research targeted at reducing carbon in the transportation sector.
The introductory Briefing Note will include an overview commentary of Climate Change impact and implications, the legislative background and programme. Future Briefing Notes will include:
- Mitigation, the need for efficient sustainable transport systems and carbon reduction.
- Consideration of changes required in engineering design standards and material specification with specific reference to British Standards Institute (BSI) climate change agenda.
- The drivers for climate change adaptation as recognised by the insurance and finance industry.
- An assessment of future transport modes in the light of diminishing oil supplies.
Each Briefing Note will provide background knowledge and information on known current work and initiatives with accompanying references for further reading and exemplars.