(Article from Journal 2022/01 Vol140 Pt1)
The Climate Emergency and the absolute certainty that we need to both adapt and decarbonise global society is the largest and most important issue facing humanity. Engineering and engineers have a critical role to play: in defining the policies and actions necessary to avert physical and societal collapse; and in working with government, other key disciplines and industry to win the arguments so that those actions are taken with the urgency necessary.
The PWI is responding to the Climate Emergency. As an Institution we have formed our own specialist committee and recent editions of the Journal have and will continue to report on the activity of this group. The PWI is working with other organisations to help the UK government to meet the unprecedented challenge that lies ahead for society, as well understanding our own carbon footprint and how to reduce it.
The recent landmark study conducted by the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is acknowledged as a ‘code red for humanity’. More intense and frequent weather extremes will become the norm, pushing our infrastructure to its limits.The events at Dawlish and Stonehaven will become commonplace and the impacts familiar to us all. But the report offered some hope, suggesting that if we can cut global emissions in half by 2030 and reach net zero by the middle of this century, we may be able to avert some of the most catastrophic consequences of a warming world. The challenge is immense. It will require us to change every aspect of our lives. Global co-operation and visionary leadership are fundamental. The rail infrastructure community has a significant role to play.
So where do we start with such a huge challenge? There is so much information available in the public domain on this topic that it can be overwhelming and whilst our rail community appreciates the size and scale of the problem they can feel at a loss as to what they can practically do.
The Manchester and Liverpool Section are delighted to host a technical seminar on 3 March 2022 on the subject of – The Climate Emergency: The Railway’s Response – with a very specific goal in mind. We want to present papers relevant and relatable to members of the Institution, demonstrating how teams across the rail industry are finding solutions on a day to day basis.
The agenda for the main conference has been formed around four key themes that are crucial to tackling the Climate Emergency.
- Modal Shift,
- Embodied Carbon,
- Nature, and;
- Resilience.
MODAL SHIFT
Rail is the least carbon intensive form of long-distance transport. To support overall UK decarbonisation across other sectors, rail will need to take a greater proportion of both people journeys and freight movements off the roads. How can we integrate rail more efficiently with local public transport and active transport in our cities and towns, so that rail becomes the first choice of transport mode? How will the rail industry deliver more freight paths on the network? Speakers include Peter Cole, Principal Sustainability and Environment Officer at TfN.
EMBODIED CARBON
The materials we use make a significant contribution to the railway’s carbon footprint. This part of the conference will explore low carbon alternatives to traditional materials, and their practical application in building the railway of the future. Speakers include Brian Whitney and Darren Sharp from Network Rail’s Technical Authority team.
NATURE
Natural Capital and Nature Based Solutions can help us to develop solutions more in harmony with planet earth. Robert Spencer from AECOM will present his paper on the Natural Capital Laboratory in Scotland and how this work could help the rail industry embed nature in future projects.
RESILIENCE
The existing railway will need to become resilient to effects of climate change. Dr Brian Haddock, Head of Seasonal and Weather Resilience at Network Rail and Paul Davies, Network Rail’s Chief Climatologist will present their paper on improving weather warning systems for the railway. We will also hear from the Dawlish team about their first-hand experience of adapting the railway to future weather events, after their work to recover from the events of 2014.
In the weeks preceding the conference the PWI intend to host a number of lunch time presentations on associated subject matter. These lunch time seminars are free and open to both members and non-members alike. Watch out for publicity nearer the time.
AUTHOR: Jenny Smith – Principal Permanent Way Engineer at Mott MacDonald and part of the PWI Liverpool & Manchester Section. She recently joined the PWI Climate Change & Decarbonisation Committee.