Rachel Skinner

Shaping zero: Rachel Skinner’s year as ICE President

During her year leading the institution, Rachel Skinner shone a light on the urgent need to reach net zero carbon.

More specifically, on reducing the billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions that directly relate to the design, build and long-term use of infrastructure.

This has been estimated at around 70% of global emissions. She launched the initiative with a film titled Shaping Zero at her inaugural address in November 2020.

The film sought to help engineers recognise that they play a massive role in addressing the climate crisis, but it would require a change in approach across the industry. Decarbonisation would need to become a priority, one as important as economic growth and development.

In the film, she clarified that net zero carbon does not mean there will be no more carbon emissions. It simply means that a balance will be achieved between how much carbon enters the atmosphere, and how much is removed.

She highlighted the importance of climate mitigation and adaptation. On one hand, reducing our emissions to slow down the rate of global warming, and on the other, preparing our infrastructure to cope with the extreme weather that we’re already facing.

During her year, she also launched the ICE Carbon Champions initiative – a programme that recognised real-life examples of projects achieving measurable carbon savings.