The latest event in CIHT’s Future of Transport Webinar Series, "Sustainability", took place from the 17 - 19 March , 2021.

The first session, 'Sustainable - using green infrastructure and SuDS', chaired by CIHT CEO Sue Percy, was held by a panel of diverse speakers, including Owen Davies, Project Engineer, Havant Borough Council; Sue Illman, Managing Director, Illman Young Landscape Design; George Warren, Project Manager, Climate Change Team, Greater London Authority and Paul Shaffer, Associate - Water Management, CIRIA.

Sue Illman said: “Managing surface water purely by using underground systems requires extensive and expensive engineering. There are times and places when you need them but the additional benefits that arise from green infrastructure and SuDS, such as improved water quality, biodiversity and making places more pleasant for people, means that it is often the best solution both financially and for communities.”

Key points highlighted at this session included:

• Flooding has been identified by the Committee for Climate Change as the most serious issue in adapting to climate change in the UK.
• Drainage and SuDS should be an overarching issue which should be considered within all aspects of how we design our urban environments.
• SuDS and green infrastructure bring many more additional benefits as opposed to traditional grey infrastructure drainage solutions.
• The importance of SuDS needs to be recognised properly in the upcoming National Model Design Code and Manual for Streets.
• 100% of attendees said that the Highways Sector need to do more to incorporate SuDS and green infrastructure.

The second session, 'Sustainable infrastructure construction', chaired by Ginny Clarke CBE, Chair of CIHT's Learned Society and Technical Strategy Board, was led by Colin Holm, Senior Technical Advisor – Sustainable Development and Climate Change at Highways England. He covered how road infrastructure can deliver sustainable development, discussing challenges and priorities faced as we seek to decarbonise roads, build resilience and deliver wider environmental, societal and economic benefits.

Colin Holm said “A focus on carbon is a critical thing because, as well as being essential in tackling climate change, carbon reduction can help drive other benefits too. So if you can drive down your carbon footprint there is a potential to make cost savings and deliver wider benefits too, for example to natural, social and human capitals.”

Key points highlighted at this session included:

• Sustainability leadership is very important to Highways England as they are the client organisation for a large supply chain.
• Highways England are currently looking at refreshing their priorities and working on a Net Zero Carbon Strategy which will be published in the Spring. That will set out how Highways England will deliver net zero.
• Design standards are critical and it is at the design stages of projects that there is greatest scope for making projects sustainable.

The third session 'Sustainable surfacing: Graphene in Live Labs' included an interview with Carol Valentine, Highways Project Manager at Kent County Council on the trial of Graphene in highways in Kent and how data is used to drive decision making.

 Responding to a question on whether local highway authorities, who have not received the same funding as Kent County Council has for their innovation trials, could innovate in a similar way, Carol said:

 “It’s a resounding yes, because although it’s been lovely having the additional funding, but all highway authorities spend money and it is about how we spend that money. For example, there are other highway authorities in the South East who are doing similar trials to those we are doing but without the funding. You need to divert some of the funding that you have into technology.”

Are you interested in learning more about these and other topics? Why not attend one of our upcoming, monthly Future of Transport webinars? Find them all listed in our Future of Transport Webinar Series Hub.