{"id":101109,"date":"2021-10-28T08:31:34","date_gmt":"2021-10-28T07:31:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=101109"},"modified":"2021-10-28T08:31:34","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T07:31:34","slug":"national-infrastructure-assessment-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/planning-construction-news\/national-infrastructure-assessment-2\/101109\/","title":{"rendered":"What needs to be in the second National Infrastructure Assessment?"},"content":{"rendered":"

With major challenges on the horizon \u2013 including the growth and ageing of the population, coupled with the need to adapt to a changing climate \u2013 it is essential that we take a long-term approach to infrastructure planning, says Keith Howells FICE, trustee of the Institution of Civil Engineers<\/a><\/h2>\n

The National Infrastructure Commission\u2019s (NIC) second National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA2) aims to do exactly that.<\/p>\n

While work on NIA2 is already underway, it won\u2019t be published until 2023. With the opportunity to shape NIA2\u2019s priorities, the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has published a paper<\/a> with recommendations \u2013 grouped into three broad areas \u2013 that the second National Infrastructure Assessment must cover.<\/p>\n

Changing demand drivers<\/h3>\n

Before anything else, we need to look at what has changed since the first National Infrastructure Assessment<\/a> in 2018.<\/p>\n

Most prominently, the UK has committed to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, which will require huge investment in, and changes to, our infrastructure systems.<\/p>\n

The Covid-19 pandemic has very likely changed \u2013 or at least sped up changes to \u2013 the demand profile for infrastructure and highlighted our reliance on digital infrastructure networks.<\/p>\n

The need to address regional socio-economic inequalities has gained a new dimension with the government\u2019s \u201clevelling-up\u201d agenda<\/a> \u2013 though we need clarity on exactly what it wants to achieve from it.<\/p>\n

What should be prioritised in NIA2?<\/h3>\n

Firstly, we need to prioritise climate action and sustainability. The net zero target is less than 30 years away and will require both a transformation of our infrastructure systems and the minimisation of carbon emissions produced through construction and operation.<\/p>\n

Secondly, we need to look to our existing infrastructure assets and networks. Understanding their condition and ensuring we can maintain and upgrade them will be vital in saving both costs and carbon, as well as making them more resilient to the impacts of climate change.<\/p>\n

And thirdly, we need to consider how we actually deliver all of this. Reformed governance structures, building up local capability and understanding what capacity we need are all vital to ensure the public get the infrastructure they need.<\/p>\n

Addressing net zero<\/h3>\n

At the time of the first NIA, much less was known about how we would decarbonise our infrastructure. The government\u2019s recent Net Zero Strategy<\/a> presents a sound analysis of the issues and an ambitious plan. It may lack detail in some areas, such as expected emissions savings and how much of the transition will be funded, but these will evolve as experience develops, technical advances come to market and methods of finance unfold.<\/p>\n

Over the coming decades we can expect the continued roll-out of technology such as electric vehicle charging infrastructure, significantly more renewables, carbon capture and storage, energy storage, commercial heat pumps and more. This is why we recommend that NIA2 aligns as closely as possible with the Climate Change Committee\u2019s Sixth Carbon Budget, which sets out evidence-based pathways to decarbonisation.<\/p>\n

There is no formal system of governance for translating net zero targets into action. Our infrastructure operates as a \u201csystem of systems\u201d and cannot be considered in isolation. NIA2 needs to consider what governance system can best deliver net zero infrastructure, so we can have a clear, fair and cost-effective net zero transition.<\/p>\n

Importantly, we also need to look at what we are building and how we are building it \u2013 an issue that ICE president Rachel Skinner has recently brought to the fore<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Projects committed to now will lock-in carbon emissions to 2050 and beyond. The upkeep and improvement of existing infrastructure should be reviewed within NIA2 to avoid rebuilding where possible and minimise the impacts of embodied and operational carbon.<\/p>\n