How to reach net zero regardless of its place on political agendas

In today’s turbulent world, cutting carbon emissions is slipping down political agendas.

That’s in contrast to the alarming evidence that climate change is upon us. We can see this in record-breaking statistics for global temperatures, reducing sea-ice in the Arctic, and extreme events including floods, droughts and wildfires.

There is a weird dissonance between these shocking observations of climate change, and mischievous resistance to doing something about it.

Yet when I speak to ICE members, young and not-so-young, I am reassured that everyone recognises the urgency of the climate challenge.

ICE members express a pragmatic recognition that this is a problem that needs to be solved now, and civil and infrastructure engineering is central to the solution.

The role of infrastructure in decarbonisation

The ICE has long recognised the fundamental role of infrastructure in cutting carbon emissions.

During her presidential year, Rachel Skinner asked every ICE member what they were going to do to help reach net zero carbon emissions.

She also initiated the ICE Carbon Champions programme to celebrate the most impressive successes.

Steps to net zero

We’re now pretty clear about the steps that have to be taken to reach net zero.

Decarbonising electricity

The journey starts with eliminating carbon emissions from electricity generation.

The good news is that renewable supplies from photovoltaic panels and wind turbines is so cheap compared to the alternatives. Solar panels have become approximately 80% cheaper in the last decade.

Of course, these renewable energy supplies need to be backed up with flexible storage technologies, but a quiet revolution is underway there, too. The UK now has about 4.4GW of battery storage with another 85GW of storage projects lining up, while China already has 74GW.

The UK government’s Clean Power 2030 mission which aims to eliminate carbon emissions from the grid by 2030 is challenging but feasible.

It’s certainly inspiring for engineers everywhere.

A more secure and modern energy market

Transitioning the power sector away from fossil fuels will reduce dependence on volatile oil and gas markets, improve energy security, and enable modernisation across the economy because electricity is so much more efficient than burning fossil fuels.

A net zero power sector will provide the cheap green electrons to cut carbon emissions by electrifying transport and domestic heating.

The technologies are all there, but the supply chain issues – from retraining plumbers to designing district heat networks – still need to be fixed.

Decarbonising cement and steel

Once power, transport and domestic heating no longer emit carbon, a lot of the work to reach net zero will be done, but the most difficult sectors will remain.

Notably, agriculture and heavy industry, including steel and cement.

I won’t dwell upon the challenges of cutting greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, besides reminding everyone to endeavour to eat less meat.

But we civil engineers are central to decarbonising cement and steel, and the ICE is playing its part.

Using the standards available

As the ICE-led PAS2080 standard for whole life carbon management makes clear, eliminating the emissions embodied in infrastructure starts with cutting the need for concrete and steel in the first place. This should be done through much more material-efficient design and by repurposing structures that already exist.

Sometimes cement and steel can’t be avoided, which is why the ICE is supporting research, innovation and standards in low-carbon versions of these materials.

The BSI Flex 350 standard sets the direction for lower-carbon concrete. I’m tremendously impressed by the work that the Lower-Carbon Concrete Group is doing.

But, as we heard at a well-attended ICE event on Flex 350 in December last year, clients are cautious about the durability of new replacement materials. We need to find more opportunities for well-monitored demonstration projects.

Understanding and balancing the costs of decarbonisation

Unlike renewable electricity, low-carbon cement and steel production is going to be more costly than the carbon-emitting alternatives for the foreseeable future.

Fitting carbon capture and storage technologies to a cement works is not cheap. Nor is replacing blast furnaces with electric arc furnaces.

That means that in the end, the move to low-carbon infrastructure construction has to be driven by clients.

We’re seeing that happening already, for example in the Lower Thames Crossing, a Pathfinder project exploring ways to be carbon neutral in construction.

But some price-conscious clients will eventually have to be driven by regulation. And that’s a process that needs to happen worldwide.

We can’t afford to wait for everyone to get on board

Right now, with climate-denying political leaders dotted around the world, it might be hard to imagine all clients insisting on net zero infrastructure.

But the reality of climate change will outlive today’s politicians, and when the world comes to its senses, people will look to engineers to deliver the solutions.

I don’t think we can wait for that, so let’s get on with eliminating carbon emissions from infrastructure in the meantime.