Highways Sector Council commits to Net Zero Highways
For a sustainable future - it is vital we decarbonise our highways network.
As the world meets at COP 27 to discuss global climate change the Highways Sector Council (HSC) is today releasing its Net Zero Highways plan, highlighting the progress made by the sector and the ongoing work by various bodies to reduce carbon emissions.
HSC commits to working collaboratively to enable the achievement of:
- The Climate Change Committee’s balanced pathway to Net Zero
- The Government’s Net Zero Strategy
- DfT’s Decarbonising Transport plan
Given the urgency of the Net Zero challenge HSC will initially focus on reducing those Greenhouse Gas-producing activities that contribute the most to the whole life emissions of the highway asset – Road User and Capital Carbon emissions.
Road user emissions - tailpipe emissions from all vehicles
- Leveraging its members and partners HSC will help share best practice and expertise - for example in EV infrastructure and modal optimisation and will lead industry engagement with DfT.
Capital carbon - embedded emissions from the construction and maintenance of the highway asset, in particular from cement and steel production, and from diesel emissions from plant, equipment and materials transport
- PAS 2080: Carbon Management in Infrastructure offers a systematic way for managing whole life carbon that HSC believes can be the cornerstone from which the industry can build and accelerate improvement. HSC will leverage its sector wide membership to accelerate the scalable adoption of PAS 2080 as a fundamental enabler to minimising the whole life carbon footprint of highways.
Key next step
A brief has been prepared for a HSC working group to develop practical guidance and resources to help all sector organisations (no matter their size) align their operations and projects to PAS 2080.
Ann Carruthers, Leicestershire County Council’s Director of Environment and Transport said:
“The sooner we see an industry wide shift towards whole life carbon reduction, the sooner we can meet our net zero targets, and ensure better business performance, reduced costs, increased competitiveness and innovation. We need to build on what we’ve achieved so far, and make sure our highways are fit for a truly sustainable world.
John Dixon, HSC Member and Jacobs’ Head of Highways said:
“PAS 2080 is increasingly being adopted and promoted in the Highways Sector. It is a flexible standard that can be applied to different project types, sizes and stages. If we use it as a means to facilitate consistency and collaboration at pace we stand a better chance of making a difference on time.”
Leon Daniels, Chair of the HSC said:
“The Highways Sector Council’s purpose is “to bring together industry and government to transform the highways sector”. This document outlines how we are doing just that and how the sector is coming together to deliver action at unprecedented scale and at pace to meet the challenge of Net Zero.”
A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said:
“It is encouraging to see the Highways Sector Council working to bring together industry and government bodies, aligning with the Government’s commitment to decarbonise the highway network as part of the UK’s net zero target by 2050. We are keen to see how HSC progresses this work for the benefit of the sector throughout the country.”
Anna Delvecchio, Founding Member of the HSC and Mott MacDonald’s Transportation Development Director said:
“We are committed to working in the best interests of the whole Highways Sector and in collaboration with Government to transform the sector.”
PRESS RELEASE: HSC calls for better collaboration across the sector to make ‘Highways a career of choice’
Earlier this year, a survey was launched by the Highways Sector Council (HSC) Future Leaders Group to help understand how to make highways a career of choice. The survey aim was to better understand how the sector can continue to attract skilled candidates from all backgrounds, understand future skills required and retain its existing talent.
Over 1,000 individuals responded from the public and private sector across the UK in both the strategic and local road networks, covering over 200 roles at every level.
Today the HSC has released the report and its findings.
DOWNLOAD THE FULL PRESS RELEASE HERE
HSC calls for better collaboration across the sector to make ‘Highways a career of choice’
Earlier this year, a survey was launched by the Highways Sector Council (HSC) Future Leaders Group to help understand how to make highways a career of choice. The survey aim was to better understand how the sector can continue to attract skilled candidates from all backgrounds, understand future skills required and retain its existing talent. Over 1,000 individuals responded from the public and private sector across the UK in both the strategic and local road networks, covering over 200 roles at every level.
Today the HSC has released the report and its findings:
Over two thirds of the respondents would recommend highways as a career of choice listing career opportunity, making a difference, problem solving and satisfaction of seeing your work as the top reasons for working in the sector.
- 56% were male
- 39% were female*
- 47% joined mid-career
In addition, the report highlights:
- There is a lack of awareness of careers available across the sector irrespective of which part of the sector people join or work in
- There is a need to improve the collective brand image for highways
- Cross transferability of skills across the sector and transport
- A need to attract and retain diversity in all respects for skills today and for the future
- A lack of awareness of what sector wide training is available to support our carbon and digital agenda
The survey brought the industry together as one and highlights that across local, central government or the private sector there is:
- High satisfaction of working in highways - because it matters to people’s lives every day.
- There is so much more to a career in highways than many have thought on entry
- The sector– early career, mid-career, or career change – needs to unite to achieve our goals – societal, environmental, and economic.
Therefore, the HSC in partnership with others industry stakeholders is hosting several workshops across the UK for the wider industry to input into our plans and priorities. The workshops will range from CEO through to apprentice to make sure we canvas the views at every level across the sector. The workshops will commence in January 2023 and will span the country as we seek to engage our workforce in shaping highways as a career of choice.
To register to attend one of workshops, please click here
For more information about the Highways Sector Council (HSC) and to download the report click here
Anna Delvecchio, Founding Member of the HSC said: “I would like to thank everybody who participated in the survey and the future leader’s group for their continued contribution over the last 12 months. We now have a credible baseline to work with. We can absolutely deliver a campaign making highways a career of choice, but we need to work in greater collaboration as a sector with a stronger partnership between the public and private sector, our clients, and the Department for Transport to ensure our sector flourishes in growth and jobs.”
Elliot Shaw, National Highways Chief Customer and Strategy Officer said: “These survey results underline the importance of showcasing the opportunities that exist across our sector. Our people take huge satisfaction from knowing that the work they do matters to people’s lives day in day out, but we need to continue to grow and diversify our sector if we are to achieve our societal, environmental and economic goals. Greater collaboration will be integral to our success and the Highways Sector Council’s role will be crucial.”
Matthew Eglinton, Department for Transport Head of Highways Policy added: “The Department is supportive of HSC's 'Making Highways a Career of Choice' - drawing out the strengths and weaknesses of working in the highway sector is critical to establishing what needs to be done to encourage a younger, more diverse workforce. “The campaign to address the skills gap in the highways sector and raise the profile of highways to make it a ‘career of choice’ is well aligned with overall Government objectives in increasing skills across the country.”
Sue Percy, CIHT’s CEO and member of the HSC said: “I welcome this survey which highlights keys opportunities, as well as the challenges, for the sector to attract and retain a diverse and skilled workforce now and in the future. The findings build on work CIHT is also doing on skills, EDI and careers and I look forward to collaborating with the HSC and key partners to deliver highways as a career of choice”.