Decarbonising infrastructure: why PAS 2080 is for everyone in the supply chain

Organisations along the infrastructure value chain – from public sector clients to private investors – are starting to specify that projects must align with the carbon management principles set out in PAS 2080.

With this condition in mind, the industry should ramp up its efforts to embed the recently revised global standard throughout its operations.

This was just one of the key messages arising from a carbon management workshop at the ICE’s Inspiring Engineering Excellence 2024 event.

The workshop was run as a fishbowl session, an interactive format that enables not only the expert speakers but all attendees to share their views.

It focused on how the carbon management standard – updated in 2023 – can significantly improve practice throughout the infrastructure sector.

Committing to action

All four speakers agreed that PAS 2080 has been inspiring a positive shift in the industry since it was originally published in 2016.

Awareness of best practice in carbon management grows every time an enterprise starts considering how it can apply the standard to the greatest effect.

While some organisations have pursued formal certification, others are using PAS 2080 to understand which aspects of carbon management they can influence the most.

Adrian Johnson, technical director at Stantec, argued that the sector will achieve meaningful gains only if asset owners and other key decision-makers make clear commitments to decarbonisation.

Encouraging suppliers to adopt PAS 2080

Take the Five Client Carbon Commitments published by the Construction Leadership Council, for example.

These call on clients of the construction industry to, among other things, adopt PAS 2080 and procure for low-carbon building materials and methods.

It encourages them to incentivise contractors to minimise their greenhouse gas emissions.

Johnson said that, to meet such commitments, organisations will need to:

• adopt more systems-level approaches;
• embed decarbonisation firmly in their governance; and
• gather evidence on the performance of low-carbon solutions.

Boosting engagement

Karen Hills, technical director for carbon at AtkinsRéalis, urged all members of the infrastructure value chain to adopt key PAS 2080 principles.

For example: nurturing a collaborative culture that encourages people to challenge standard practice.

Everyone can – and should – play a role in the decarbonisation drive.

But this requires employers to give their staff the knowledge, equipment and confidence to do so, she said.

Hills added that her firm was committed to training the next generation of carbon leaders.

Communicating what’s achievable

Paul Toyne, leader of the sustainability practice at design partnership Grimshaw, stressed the importance of early engagement.

All stakeholders in an infrastructure project, including financial professionals such as insurers, should come together as soon as possible to discuss its scope and the potential barriers, he argued.

Such collaboration enables a more integrated approach, enabling the project team to maximise the benefits and co-benefits it delivers.

The sector must work in a more coordinated way to communicate these and make clients fully aware of what’s achievable, Toyne added.

Mark Crouch, global decarbonisation discipline lead at Mott MacDonald, stressed that all members of the infrastructure value chain should be engaging with the revised PAS 2080.

To this end, his company has established a climate change academy that’s working to democratise the standard’s principles. It seeks to get everyone speaking the same language when talking about low-carbon infrastructure.

Pursuing excellence

The revised PAS 2080 standard provides a framework that the whole infrastructure sector can use to pursue excellence in low-carbon practice.

It also represents an opportunity for all stakeholders to work more collaboratively. Examples of best practice in decarbonisation should be shared widely.

The same applies to data, particularly, material arising from carbon assessments conducted in the early stages of projects.

When it comes to applying the principles of PAS 2080, perfect mustn’t become the enemy of good.

Organisations just starting to decarbonise can’t afford to let perfectionism – that is, the fear of failure – slow their progress.

For them especially, time is very much of the essence.