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Partnering with ICE: Conference on integrating carbon into infrastructure procurement

The DARe Hub co‑hosted a regional conference with the Institution of Civil Engineers North East Climate Action Group (ICE NE CAG), exploring how net zero carbon objectives can be embedded into infrastructure procurement.

During an energising day of ideas, conversations, and collaboration, passionate professionals and experts from across transport and other sectors came together for discussions on leading initiatives and innovative procurement approaches, challenges and barriers, and ways of moving forward. Attendees heard contributions from representatives of WSP, AECOM, the Carbon Reduction Code for the Built Environment (CRCBE), Laing O’Rourke, Northumbrian Water Group, and the UK Concrete Centre, among others.

"Decarbonisation is not just a 'green' issue - we need to move it into the centre of design. We can always go further and do more."

Two interactive workshops formed the heart of the event. The first focused on identifying barriers to integrating carbon into procurement, supported by a pre‑conference regional survey of infrastructure clients and professionals. The second workshop asked participants to develop procurement strategies for a fictional multi‑disciplinary transport project, exploring how decarbonisation policies influence wider considerations such as whole‑life cost and social value.

"The perspectives in our industry are changing, and construction needs to change fast."

Attendees also discussed how decarbonisation can (positively and negatively) impact other aspects of sustainability, sometimes creating a tricky balancing act for decision makers. Speakers, including Keith Bowers from DARe Project Partner COWI, presented case studies highlighting leading procurement practices, ranging from major national schemes to regional examples of carbon‑aware decision‑making.

The event successfully fostered collaboration across the region, strengthened shared understanding of challenges and opportunities, and generated a clear set of next steps for embedding carbon‑focused procurement practices. A concise outcomes paper will be shared with attendees to capture key insights and propose future actions.

The conference was held at the Catalyst in Newcastle upon Tyne, and was supported by technical partner and sponsor AECOM, along with sponsors SLC and Balfour Beatty.

Prof Phil Blythe, DARe Hub Director, Newcastle University

"The ICE NE CAG conference brought together a diverse range of stakeholders from across the infrastructure value chain, creating a valuable platform to share best practices and explore practical approaches to reducing carbon. A consistent theme throughout the discussions was that many of the challenges and barriers are shared across the chain, reinforcing the need for more collaborative approaches to effectively deliver low-carbon infrastructure."

Dr Mashael Kamran, DARe Hub Researcher, University of Cambridge

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Livia Douse

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"We've come a long way with decarbonisation in the past 20 years, but we still aren't going far enough. We've got one of the greatest jobs and opportunities here - we've got the opportunity to influence people's lives for the better."