Decarbonising Infrastructure Delivery
In October 2022 Infrastructure NSW (INSW) released a Discussion Paper on Decarbonising Infrastructure Delivery.
The paper provided guidance to reduce embodied emissions in the delivery of public infrastructure across the planning, design and construction phases.
Significant progress has been made since the release of the discussion paper, which outlined six principles and actions for reducing embodied emissions, with the progress focusing on early project development stages.
Swift action is being taken by the NSW Government Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and INSW to develop a Protection of Environment Policy (PEP). This is a regulatory mechanism requiring the measurement and eventual reduction of embodied emissions in infrastructure. The PEP will also support circular economy approaches that manage waste more efficiently and reduce carbon emissions.
The PEP will require the measurement and eventual reduction of embodied emissions in infrastructure. INSW and the EPA will engage extensively with industry as part of the process of developing the PEP and there will be a minimum three-month public consultation on the PEP.
You can keep up to date with the PEP progress on the EPA website.
Decarbonising Infrastructure Delivery Roadmap
INSW and Transport for NSW (TfNSW) have also prepared the Decarbonising Infrastructure Delivery Roadmap of their activities and milestones relating to embodied emissions over the next three years, to provide greater policy clarity to industry and communicate the coordinated work of NSW Government.
The Roadmap sets out key initiatives from 2023-2026 towards decarbonising infrastructure delivery and reflects the collaborative relationship between INSW and TfNSW as a NSW Government leader in this space.
View the Decarbonising Infrastructure Delivery Roadmap.
If you have any enquiries regarding Decarbonising Infrastructure Delivery please contact industry@infrastructure.nsw.gov.au
FAQs
INSW and EPA are developing a Protection of Environment Policy (PEP) which requires the measurement and eventual reduction of embodied emissions in infrastructure.
They are also working to support circular economy approaches that manage waste more efficiently and reduce carbon emissions. INSW and the EPA will engage extensively with industry as part of the process of developing the PEP and there will be a minimum three-month public consultation on the PEP.
The objectives of the proposed PEP are to require consent authorities to consider appropriate options to:
- minimise embodied carbon in infrastructure projects
- maximise the use of recycled and remanufactured substitute materials derived from NSW priority waste streams.
The PEP will apply to:
- All public infrastructure
- State Significant Infrastructure (SSI)
- Critical State Significant Infrastructure (CSSI)
INSW and the EPA propose to pilot the regulatory measures on 3 Transport for NSW projects. These are:
- Edmondson Park North multi-storey Commuter Car Park
- St Mary’s Footbridge
- M12 West.
The lessons from these pilots will inform the further development of the PEP and contribute to the impact study required under the POEO Act. Ongoing stakeholder engagement will also ensure the proposed measures are appropriate.
The Protection of the Environment Policy will ensure all infrastructure projects are subject to consistent requirements to address embodied emissions and circular economy principles. The PEP will send a clear signal to industry about NSW Government expectations for how infrastructure projects will contribute to achieving the NSW Net Zero target.
Infrastructure NSW and TfNSW are now responding to industry requests for an aligned NSW Government forward workplan on embodied emissions through the Decarbonising Infrastructure Delivery Roadmap. The Roadmap sets out key initiatives from 2023-2026 towards decarbonising infrastructure delivery and reflects the collaborative and complementary relationship between Infrastructure NSW and TfNSW.
