A landmark new report has, for the first time, established a national baseline for carbon emissions associated with the maintenance and construction of England’s local road network.
Published on 11 May 2026, the report presents the initial findings of the Carbon Leadership Programme – a national initiative designed to help local highway authorities measure, manage and reduce carbon emissions while improving efficiency.

Launched in June 2025, the programme is supported by the Department for Transport and delivered by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport (ADEPT) in partnership with Proving Services.

Creating a national picture of carbon emissions

The report provides the first consistent national overview of the carbon footprint of local highways maintenance and construction. It also highlights how far authorities are adopting best practice approaches to reducing emissions.

By establishing a clear baseline, the programme offers local highway authorities a practical starting point to assess their current carbon performance, benchmark progress over time and identify the most impactful opportunities to reduce emissions across their networks.

To date, around 60 of England’s 153 local highway authorities have engaged with the programme, with 21 completing full assessments and contributing to this initial baseline.

Supporting local transport planning

The findings align with the expectations set out in the latest Local Transport Plan guidance, which places increased emphasis on measuring and reducing carbon emissions across the lifecycle of transport infrastructure.

By providing a consistent framework, the programme supports authorities in embedding carbon considerations into planning, investment and asset management decisions.

Efficiency and carbon reduction

Angela Jones, President of ADEPT, said:

“This marks a significant step forward for the sector. For the first time, we have a consistent, national baseline of the carbon footprint of local highways maintenance and construction that will enable the sector to benchmark performance, track progress and plan low carbon futures. What is particularly encouraging is the clear link between operational efficiency and carbon performance, which shows that reducing emissions and running an efficient highways service are complementary goals.”

Simon Wilson, Director of Proving Services, added:

“This programme demonstrates just how much can be achieved when authorities are given the right tools and framework to measure and understand their carbon impact.
As more authorities complete the assessments, the baseline will become increasingly robust, strengthening the sector’s ability to benchmark performance and identify where the greatest opportunities for improvement lie.”

Next steps

An updated report will be published in late summer 2026, incorporating findings from a larger number of completed assessments. Local highway authorities are now being invited to register their interest in joining the programme’s second year.

Further information on the Carbon Leadership Programme is available at:
www.adeptnet.org.uk/carbon-leadership-programme