Carbon management in infrastructure

BSI publishes new guidance providing common framework on management of whole-life carbon

BSI, the business standards company, has published PAS 2080: 2016 Carbon management in infrastructure. The specification was developed following the HM Treasury’s Infrastructure Carbon Review in November 2013, which recognized the opportunity for the infrastructure community to co-operate in the development of low-carbon infrastructure projects.

By working collaboratively towards a common goal to reduce carbon, BSI says infrastructure organizations have the power to see economic gains and leave a sustainable legacy, and the following outcomes can be achieved by implementing such a strategy:

• Reduced-carbon and reduced-cost infrastructure
• More collaborative ways of working to promote innovation, delivering benefit to society and communities served by economic infrastructure
• Effective carbon management in infrastructure to make an important contribution towards tackling climate change and leave a positive legacy for future generations
• Delivering more sustainable solutions, at lower cost, will enhance the reputation of the infrastructure industry attracting new people and skills
• The challenges set out in PAS 2080 will create a platform for innovation to thrive, leading to more vibrant and rewarding workplaces.

Anthony Burd, head of sector, built environment at BSI, said: ‘PAS 2080 provides a common framework for all infrastructure sectors on how to manage whole-life carbon when delivering infrastructure assets and programmes of work.

‘This is not just a concern for a few practitioners within an organization, but the leadership also as they are integral to establishing the governance systems for reducing whole-life carbon through the use of a carbon-management process.

‘PAS 2080 can guide them through the journey where the results of reduced carbon, reduced costs and more innovative and collaborative ways of working can be achieved.’

PAS 2080 covers:

• Setting appropriate carbon-reduction targets
• Determining baselines against which to assess carbon-reduction performance
• Establishing metrics (eg KPIs) for credible carbon emissions quantification and reporting
• Selecting carbon emissions quantification methodologies (to include defining boundaries and cut-off rules)
• Reporting at appropriate stages in the infrastructure work stages to enable visibility of performance
• Continual improvement of carbon management and performance.

BSI says PAS 2080 will be of use to all stakeholders responsible for delivering and managing infrastructure assets, including asset owners/managers, designers, constructors and product/material suppliers, but points out that it does not cover national and sectoral policies covering infrastructure carbon management, which are responsibility of governments and regulators.