Year
2021-2024Duration
3 yearsCost
NALocation
WorldwideProject achievements
Connected communities
Created common interest groups where people could share insights
Used engineering skill
Showcased innovative methodologies to reduce carbon and increase resilience
Environment benefitted
Helped the industry achieve net zero and the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Celebrate best practice in cutting carbon and boosting infrastructure resilience
The ICE Champions initiatives were created to highlight the innovative work of engineers and share insights and best practice to inspire the rest of the industry.
The Carbon Champions recognised real-life examples of projects that achieved measurable carbon savings.
It launched in 2021 as part of ICE Past President Rachel Skinner CBE’s Shaping Zero initiative, which encouraged engineers on their journey to net zero.
The Resilience Champions initiative sought to recognise individuals who designed infrastructure projects that are resilient, sustainable, and inclusive.
ICE Past President Professor Anusha Shah started the programme to inspire those working across the infrastructure and built environment industry to be nature- and people-positive.
Climate change is and will continue to affect each and every one of us – and we all have a responsibility to make positive change.
[Carbon Champions], through their hard work and innovative thinking, are doing just that – delivering real change within the industry to help reduce the amount of carbon produced by infrastructure.
Rachel Skinner, ICE President 2020-2021
Did you know …
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A massive 70% of carbon emissions worldwide can be linked to infrastructure. Civil and infrastructure engineers have a duty to solve the problems those emissions cause for our climate.
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While the Carbon Champions initiative was live, 85 individuals were recognised across a total of 23 projects.
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Another 41 people from five different projects received Resilience Champion recognition.
Difference the champions have made
The Carbon and Resilience Champions initiatives celebrated projects and individuals that showcased innovative ways to address the challenges of a changing climate.
A great example is the Glasgow Airport Investment Area project, one of the Carbon Champions.
It was also one of the first infrastructure projects in the world to adopt the PAS 2080 standard for managing carbon in the built environment. It led the team to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20% across the 52ha site.
One element on the project, a high-voltage cable crossing, managed to reduce its emissions by 87% by drastically reducing the amount of concrete needed for this structure.
Another example, this time from the resilience and sustainability space, is the Connswater Community Greenway in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The greenway is a 16km network of car-free footways and cycle paths that benefits 40,000 local residents and the students from 23 local schools.
Research from Queens University Belfast found that if only 2% of the inactive population of east Belfast becomes active because of the greenway, the investment would pay for itself in 40 years through healthcare cost savings alone.
Other studies suggest that there will be a £4 return on every £1 invested in developing the greenway. This is based on factors such as tourism, job creation and higher property prices.
Building a cleaner and greener world requires us to try new ways of working and collaborating across sectors, geographies and generations. Every decision we make must have sustainability, resilience and inclusivity at heart.
Professor Anusha Shah, ICE President 2023-2024
People who made it happen
Rachel Skinner CBE, ICE Past President 2020-2021, launched the Carbon Champions initiative
Professor Anusha Shah, ICE Past President 2023-2024, started the Sustainable, Inclusive and Resilient Champions programme.
