Atkins, Balfour Beatty devise carbon tool for transport projects

Atkins and Balfour Beatty have developed a method for estimating and developing a management plan - at the early design stage - for the overall carbon impact associated with new road and rail projects, including emissions associated with infrastructure maintenance and use.

The project was led by non-profit sustainability organisation Forum for the Future and also involved the Highways Agency and Network Rail.

The carbon framework that Atkins and Balfour Beatty has produced recommends that direct carbon emissions should be considered first. Next, these should be prioritised according to which emissions will be managed and which will be dismissed because they cannot be influenced or because they are insignificant.

The framework sets out three main categories of carbon emissions: those that should be reported (all carbon within the boundary of the project); those that should be managed (significant, controllable and reducible carbon within the boundary); and those that can be influenced (significant, reducible carbon that may be in or out of the boundary).

• Atkins news release
• FFF article