Capital Equipment News March 2019

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP – INFRASTRUCTURE

How can the circular economy make infrastructure more sustainable? With a growing global population, the need for new or renovated infrastructure is becoming ever more prevalent. But how do we go about making sure that this infrastructure is sustainable? Dr. Paul Toyne explains on behalf of Volvo Construction Equipment how the circular economy, combined with an investment in technological innovation, is our most powerful tool in shaping the infrastructure of tomorrow.

I nfrastructure provides all the vital services to keep an urban area func- tioning – that can be anything from transport and energy to utilities such as waste disposal. Regardless of whether it is sustainable or not our need for infra- structure is growing. This is for two main reasons: we have a growing global popu- lation which means a higher demand for infrastructure and, on top of that, a large proportion of this population is being born into or migrating into cities. Currently, over 50% of the global population live in cities and that figure is set to rise to 60% by 2030. With a staggering US$350-trillion estimated to be invested in global urban infrastructure over the next decades, surely, we need some seriously strong incentives to make sure that we build sustainably? A journey of learning Policy and industry attitudes are changing but is this change happening fast enough to mitigate the huge effects of climate change? In my opinion, public procurement strategies should be setting targets which are far more challenging to the industry, particularly on the environmental impact of the materials used and the finished asset in operation. But we are going to need a lot more than political will to mitigate pollution and improving efficiency in the construction industry. We will need further research and development (R&D) into areas such as digitalisation, electromobility, virtual reality, 3D printing, new materials, the redesign of existing products and the subsequent trialling of these innovations. This will involve new types of collaboration and business models. Sectors such as energy are already investing heavily in R&D, for example in battery storage, and consequently advancements in efficiency and decarbonisation. As this sector and others

About Dr. Paul Toyne Dr. Paul Toyne is a non-executive director and independent advisor to business and government, specialising in the sustainable built environment. Prior roles include director of Environment and Sustainability at both Balfour Beatty and WSP, as well as head of Sustainability at Bovis Lendlease. His roles and associations today include; London Sustainable Development commissioner, as appointed by the mayor; membership of the Green Construction Board’s Infrastructure Working Group; and chair of Constructing Excellence’s Sustainability Group. To learn more visit: www.paultoyne.com

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