Highways Agency - Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers

Related pages

• Sustainable Development
• Climate Change
• Climate Change Adaptation
• Climate Change Mitigation
• Facts, Figures and Resources

Climate Change Mitigation

Mitigation - how we can minimise our contribution towards the causes of climate change and support the Climate Change Act targets on greenhouse gas reductions.  We need to take positive action to assist the Government in meeting its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and climate change commitments.  The Highways Agency has direct control over the construction, maintenance and operation of the strategic road network and we need to drive this towards a low carbon future.

We also need to take opportunities to influence the users of our network, so they can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from their journey choices.

Carbon Calculation and Accounting

The Highways Agency is a UK leader in the construction sector, and as such needs to lead by example and provide its supply chain with the tools necessary to measure greenhouse gas emissions, and provide the incentives to actively manage and reduce these wherever possible.  However, before the Highways Agency can set about implementing new measures to reduce its emissions, it is first necessary to establish and quantify its current greenhouse gas emission levels.

We have developed a carbon calculation methodology, so our business and supply chain have a consistent and transparent methodology for collecting and calculating their carbon emissions.  We have used this data to produce a carbon footprint for the Highways Agency, including our maintenance, construction, and operational (office and travel activities).  Our first carbon footprint can be seen in our 2008/09 Annual Report.

The data building up our carbon footprint has been used to set Business Plan carbon reduction targets.  These are the first carbon reduction targets that we have been set, and we hope to use these to further inspire our staff and supply chain to look for additional carbon savings in the delivery of our business.

We have also initiated a carbon accounting project bringing the application of accountancy techniques to report and manage carbon.  This project will develop reporting and performance management systems for carbon accounting and budgeting, ensuring that systems make use of or are integrated with other Agency performance and financial reporting systems.

This will build upon the carbon calculation methodology for the capture of carbon emissions information.  The carbon accounting project will be focusing on management at the level where emissions can be controlled.

To take forward the carbon agenda, we need to look at applying carbon considerations in our investment decision making processes.  The carbon foot printing work has also provided a valuable data source which can be applied to help further inform whole life design decisions from a carbon perspective.  Working jointly with Forum for the Future, Network Rail and supply chain partners, we will develop a practical framework that enables the whole life carbon impact of a major infrastructure project to be managed or influenced.  This will enable us to determine where to focus our carbon reduction efforts.