Mott MacDonald supports launch of new open access carbon database for infrastructure

Mott MacDonald is the first company to provide client approved, detailed carbon data for completed construction projects to the newly developed Built Environment Carbon Database (BECD), a free to access benchmark tool for infrastructure carbon assessment. You can now access the tool at www.BECD.co.uk.

Created by the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS), the BECD will allow precise calculation of the embodied carbon in all elements of a project, rather than an estimated single value for an overall project.

The move has been driven by criticism of the shortage of openly available industry data and of the lack of a clear “starting point” identified in the ‘Is our Carbon Wallet Empty’ report, published in 2021 by Skanska with the Net Zero Infrastructure Industry Coalition, which is chaired by Mott MacDonald.

The BECD’s launch is initially focused on highway assets and uses a substantial body of infrastructure carbon data harvested from highways projects delivered by Mott MacDonald over the last seven years. Plans are in place to roll the database out to assets in the rail, energy and water sectors.

Kim Yates, UK and Europe climate change lead at Mott MacDonald said: “The datasets will allow you to look at the carbon cost of a typical highways’ asset, such as a roundabout or flyover, and piece them together in a detailed fashion, rather than just a single figure for an overall project. It is that breakdown of the numbers on an asset-by-asset basis that makes this an industry first and differentiates it from carbon calculators, as it is based on built assets rather than predictions at design stage.”

“By having a clear view of the current carbon cost, we can truly track the impact of carbon reduction measures taken at the design stage and compare them with industry norms. Using this data will aid design decisions to be made that enable our carbon reduction efforts to go further and faster.”

The BCIS, through its CEO James Fiske, is calling for others to share their data and give the database a broader range of data. "The clock is ticking and we can no longer hold back on sharing anything that could help in our fight against climate change. This doesn’t mean losing your competitive advantage – more data held centrally benefits everyone and helps reduce risk. If Mott MacDonald can do it, what’s stopping everyone else? The only way we can be sure that we are making the right decisions to reduce the environmental impact of our activities in the infrastructure sector, is to learn from and share data with each other. BECD does this.”