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A massive 70% of carbon emissions worldwide can be linked to infrastructure. Civil engineers - as designers, builders and maintainers of this infrastructure - have a duty to solve the problems those emissions cause for our climate.
The ICE Carbon Champions initiative highlights and shares best practice in carbon reduction, to help the sector as a whole move towards a net zero future.
The initiative recognises real-life examples of projects that have achieved – or are projected to achieve - quantifiable carbon savings.
Our current Carbon Champions are leading the way across the sector, but we know there are more out there.
We are always looking for examples of people and projects which are excelling in this space.
A panel of experts put the projects through a rigorous assessment, and successful submissions are then named an ICE Carbon Champion.
The ICE shares these success stories to encourage others to do the same, so that in time, these practical examples of civil engineers eliminating carbon from infrastructure become the industry norm.
ICE members and non-members alike are invited to apply for ICE Carbon Champion status as an individual or team. Projects can be cross-organisational, at any stage or lifecycle of a project, of any size, and located anywhere in the world.
Meet ICE's Carbon Champions
Hear from some of our Carbon Champions in the below playlist.
How to apply
Share your carbon reduction stories for a chance to become an ICE Carbon Champion.
An ICE Carbon Champion submission must include:
- A clear and concise summary or what’s been delivered to actively reduce carbon emissions from a project.
- Quantified carbon savings with a clear and robust methodology of how this is calculated and compared to a baseline.
- A defined time period over which carbon savings have been calculated.
Read our guidance that provides details on how to apply and the terms and conditions
Read more about our Expert Review Panel, who are assessing applications as they are submitted, using a criteria and matrix of their own design.
For reassurance and to avoid any conflicts of interest, no members of the panel assess submissions that involves their parent company.
Chair: Lara Young
Head of ESG, Cromwell Property Group
Lara joined Cromwell Property Group in January 2023 after working in the construction and engineering industry for over 10 years. As Head of ESG, she works on further developing Cromwell’s existing ESG framework and aligning the ESG strategy with the business’s overall strategic objectives.
Prior to joining Cromwell, Lara was the driving force behind establishing and implementing Costain’s Climate Change Action Plan, which set out a detailed 15-year plan to transition to a net-zero organisation by 2035. She was most recently shortlisted as 2023 Net-Zero and Energy leader of the year at the edie sustainability awards (winners to be announced in March) and was named 2022 Young Person of the Year by the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) and Energy and Carbon Leader of the Year at the 2021 edie Awards. Lara has been the Chair of the Carbon Champion Review Panel since May 2021.
Mark Edwards MEng(Hons) CEng MIMechE CEnv MIEMA
Head of sustainability, Gatwick Airport
Mark is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer and is currently the Head of Sustainability at Gatwick Airport. Mark has considerable experience in the infrastructure sector working at both private and not-for-profit organisations specialising in resource efficiency, circular economy and carbon reduction.
He has a long history of either leading or participating in industry/sector initiatives to address issues, develop and embed new approaches, and further the sustainability agenda. Mark contributed to the ICE’s The Carbon Project working groups in 2020 before joining the panel of the Carbon Champions in 2021.
Kirils Holstovs MEng (Hons) GMICE
Engineer (Rail, Bridges & Structures), AECOM
Kirils is a civil and structural engineer performing bridge inspections and assessments as a part of AECOM’s Bridges team in Newcastle upon Tyne, which helps ensure safe and sustainable operation of the UK's railway and highway networks.
He is the 2021 New Civil Engineer Outstanding Contribution to Carbon Net Zero award winner and Graduate of the Year finalist. Kirils is a co-initiator of the COP26 Joint Statement of International Youth Organisations presented to senior policymakers at COP26 and endorsed by WFEO.
Previous roles include Head of Business Environment Policy at EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation – where he was responsible for developing positions on infrastructure, devolution and digital transformation.
Kirils is the Climate Change Lead of the ICE NE Regional Committee, taking pride in generating, supporting and leading industry climate and sustainability initiatives.
Chris Landsburgh CEnv FIEMA FICRS GMICE
Associate Climate Consultant, AECOM
Chris is a Chartered Environmentalist and Fellow of IEMA and the ICRS.
He is working for AECOM as an Associate in the Climate and Sustainability team specialising in Carbon in Infrastructure for several international projects through concept, design and construction. Chris was part of ICE President Paul Sheffield’s Future Leader programme and was awarded the inaugural Society of the Environment’s New Registrant of the Year and named in edie’s 30 under 30.
Chris is currently undertaking a PhD in Carbon Responsibility with Francesco Pomponi and Bernardino D’Amico of Edinburgh Napier to ensure consistency, clarity and commonality within the Infrastructure Value Chain.
Paul Morris CEng FICE
Director, Civic Engineers
Paul is a Director at Civic Engineers with 20 years’ industry experience, he is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the ICE.
Paul is passionate about carbon reduction and climate resilience and delivering human scale, urban infrastructure that has a positive impact on the communities it serves.
Paul is currently leading the engineering on exemplar projects such as the Climate Innovation District in Leeds, City of York Council’s net zero housing project and numerous public realm improvement schemes, with a particular focus on the incorporation of green infrastructure and nature in the built environment.
Andrea Gysin
Net Zero and Innovation Director,Water, Energy & Industry, WSP
Andrea’s career spans over 20 years in the water industry, working across consultancy, start-ups and utility companies.
In 2005 she launched a ‘dragons’ den’ style innovation programme to accelerate technology commercialisation in the water sector. Her start-up experience includes companies that focused on delivering renewable and circular economy solutions, thereby contributing directly to decarbonisation.
Immediately prior to joining WSP, Andrea was Head of Innovation Partnerships for Thames Water where she was accountable for development and delivery of the innovation portfolio, aligning it to key business challenges including leakage, pollutions, asset condition and climate change.
Andrea is accountable for developing and implementing WSP’s net zero strategy for water, energy and industry sectors in the UK and has recently taken responsibility for the development of the water strategic advisory team.
Sponsor
Bentley
Bentley Systems is an infrastructure engineering software company, providing innovative software to advance the world’s infrastructure – sustaining both the global economy and environment.
Bentley Systems' support for ICE’s Carbon Champions initiative is helping to bring the deserved attention to individuals and projects leading low carbon pathways to future proofing their infrastructure.
Carbon resources
View our Carbon Champions best practice, case studies and further resources.
