Major national programmes are now setting a benchmark for carbon management across the UK infrastructure pipeline
This year more than ever, these projects have opened up about the steps taken and carbon management innovations made to help set the tone across the country.
What follows is a view of what ‘good’ carbon management looks like in practice – the actual methods being required, audited, and scaled – giving a handy overview of expectations for the years ahead.
Lower Thames Crossing (LTC)
Cutting baselines and building a low carbon programme
LTC began their carbon journey by setting carbon baselines and have already reduced them by nearly two thirds through design optimisation, material efficiency, and active engagement across the supply chain. Its Development Consent Order locks in legal obligations for carbon and biodiversity, making sustainability part of the critical path. The scheme is targeting a 70% reduction against the original baseline.
Diesel free construction and better materials
The project is removing diesel from site by using electric and hydrogen powered plant, supported by on site hydrogen generation and renewable energy. It is trialling lower carbon ground treatment and reinforcement, alongside soil mixing techniques to reduce embodied carbon.
Circular economy and ecology
Tunnel arisings are being reused for landscaping and parkland, while dedicated habitat creation supports migratory bird species and protects rare finds such as the fiery clearwing moth. Archaeology is programmed early to avoid carbon heavy disruption later. A low carbon footbridge design contest is also driving innovation for a crossing on the A127. Carbon education is rolled out to suppliers to embed good practice across delivery.
London Power Tunnels (National Grid)
Cement free concrete at scale
The London Power Tunnels programme involves constructing 32.5km of underground routes to carry high-voltage cables beneath South London. This will reduce surface disruption and allow additional capacity for future demand.
At the Hurst Substation shaft, the team used a cement free concrete mix activated with industrial by products, cutting embodied carbon by about 64% compared with traditional concrete. This was applied at scale – 736,000 litres – to complete a 55 metre deep shaft, supporting National Grid’s net zero construction target for 2025/26.
Simister Island Interchange (M60/M62/M66)
Aligning to PAS 2080 and DMRB LA 114
The scheme follows PAS 2080 and DMRB LA 114 to drive whole life carbon reduction.
A carbon workshop and monthly interdisciplinary meetings at preliminary design have been used to review hotspots, prioritise reductions, and integrate actions into the design. Opportunities under consideration, subject to supply and feasibility, include:
- Electric, or alternative lower-carbon, construction plant. Fleet telematics and start/stop technologies.
- On site renewable generation and storage to displace diesel generators; timely grid connections for compounds to access lower carbon electricity.
- Low resource site compounds, offices, and welfare solutions.
- Adoption of lower-carbon materials and techniques – geo-composites, asphalt preservatives, graphene-enhanced additives, and asphalt preservation to extend surface life.
- Local reprocessing and grading of previously used aggregates; wider circular economy adoption so equipment and materials are maintained, repaired, upgraded, repurposed, or recycled at end of life.
- Alternative fuel road wagons and HGV deliveries in place of diesel.
Design changes that remove carbon
Design development has incorporated measures to lower embodied and construction carbon, including:
- Reconfiguring the Northern Loop and M66 southbound slip road from an over/over to an over/under arrangement – substantially reducing cut and fill and removing a concrete retaining wall from the design.
- Retaining a section of slip road between the M60 northbound and M60 westbound to reuse the existing merge paved area – reducing earthworks volumes and avoiding emissions associated with land use change.
- Adjusting the vertical alignment of the Northern Loop to improve tie in to the M66 southbound – removing the need for a 100 m concrete retaining wall.
- Reusing existing drainage infrastructure where feasible – cutting embodied carbon and transport emissions from new materials.
- Maximising reuse of existing pavement layers in line with pavement assessments – avoiding full reconstruction where possible.
Five Client Carbon Commitments – public sector leadership
Decarbonisation through procurement
A group of major public clients representing over £30bn of projects have adopted the Construction Leadership Council’s Five Client Carbon Commitments. The commitments are to :
- Procure for low carbon construction and provide incentives in contracts.
- Set phase-out dates for fossil fuel use.
- Eliminate the most carbon-intensive concrete products.
- Eliminate the most carbon-intensive steel products.
- Adopt PAS 2080 as a common standard.
Notable recent sign-ups include The Environment Agency, Scottish Water, and Transport for London, and they join Anglian Water, Heathrow, the Lower Thames Crossing, National Highways, Northumbrian Water, and Sellafield Ltd, who committed last year.
Overall, these programmes show the scale and clarity now expected on major UK projects. As more clients align to the same standards, this level of detail is becoming the baseline for delivery for more and more contracts – setting the standards for new ways of working similar to the impact of HSE.
Download the latest Re-flow Field Management carbon report for more updates, or register your interest in the software’s forthcoming PAS 2080 module, for managing and collecting carbon data in the field.
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