I'm an architect by training and a long time ago I realised the need for having better-performing, more sustainable buildings. I can't believe how long ago I started thinking about these things – given how relatively little progress we've made at scale on them, but it was certainly becoming very apparent in the late '70s and it's just built since then.

I've been involved with Futurebuild (which used to be called Ecobuild), a big sustainability and built environment show, for 15 years, on the knowledge programme. In fact, I recently compiled a disc of all the different topics we've talked about and a timeline – and it's just terrifying the number of times we've been saying that environmental challenges and action were needed. All these years later, we're still saying it. We've all known about it for a very long time and we don't have any excuses for not taking the action at scale that’s needed.

In terms of green and blue infrastructure as a concept, I did some consulting work for a landscape practice in London at one stage when it was just referred to as surface water management and the need for more trees. It might not have necessarily been called GBI, but the importance was similarly understood.

Fast forward a few years and I was a founding member of the Trees & Design Action Group, which CIHT has been very supportive of, with Sue Percy talking at various launches of best practice guidance we've produced. One of my missions in life is to get people in the transport sector engaged with the importance of trees, and GBI as part of our critical infrastructure. Because of that, I was invited on to the steering group for the CIHT report published last month, Green and blue infrastructure: A transport sector perspective.

The really important thing, from my perspective, is that we all make sure we're not in our silos, because there are some relationships where particular areas of expertise working together can make a significant difference. For example, the steering group included a highway engineer, a director of the Urban Design Group, my experience with trees and Gemma Jerome from Building with Nature.

When it comes to delivering GBI in the environment, particularly in the urban environment, the role of highway engineers is critical. The important thing is anything that inspires highway engineers to start saying yes to GBI obviously has value. I'd like to see highway engineers embracing their role, ensuring that GBI is put on the critical infrastructure list and is something that's in their heads when involved in any highway project.

To deliver it, of course, involves more than just understanding: you need to work out what needs to go on underground in order to deliver above ground and understand the requirements of GBI, particularly when designing new roads. You could also look to the work of developers such as Urban & Civic at sites such as Alconbury Weald, where all the critical infrastructure was thought about from the outset.

To sum up, I’d say that there's a huge amount of information on GBI out there, with this report offering a good rundown on policy.

Sue James was in conversation with Craig Thomas.

Read CIHT’s Green and blue infrastructure: A transport sector perspective

Join Sue James, with James Elliott and Dr Gemma Jerome at the CIHT masterclass webinar on Green and Blue Infrastructure for Climate Resilient Roads on March 16.

By Sue James, Convenor, Trees and Design Action Group