Hello, infrastructure leaders and operators.

The compliance wave regarding carbon is finally here. Considering the urgency to act, CSRD, CSDD, and IFRS will all require better carbon mastering, but proper carbon measurement isn't just about giving a number or ticking boxes.

Carbon Measurement as a Professional Duty

Fresh back from the FIDIC Global Infrastructure Conference in Cape Town. I shared perspectives on engineering responsibility in carbon management that were questioned multiple times across sessions.

While global climate negotiations struggle with complex geopolitics, we have a clear, immediate opportunity in infrastructure: measure properly, optimise smartly, reduce drastically. This is about unlocking 30-50% emission reductions that are just waiting for us to make the right technical choices.

Approximately 80% of the emissions from infrastructure projects are attributed to the use of construction materials. The technology exists to address this: AI-driven materials optimisation, lifecycle assessment tools, and circular economy algorithms. These are not futuristic concepts but operational today.

The question isn't about capability, but about our professional duty.

• Most infrastructure projects still use generic emission factors, if any
• Decision-makers lack real-context carbon data during design phases
• We optimise for cost and schedule, but carbon remains an afterthought
• Result: massive (missed) opportunities for emissions reductions

An individual's accountability

Every infrastructure professional: engineer, project manager, procurement officer, finance director... now holds a piece of the climate puzzle. We can support the under-construction coordination, taking part in "doing better" by acting locally, technically, and responsibly.

Autodesk University: Systematising Carbon Measurement Across Infrastructure Projects

Our COO & cofounder, Renaud, also held a session at Autodesk University this year with our partners at Ramboll. The topic, as he puts it in his typical engineer fashion, was: "How do you systematise carbon measurement across all infrastructure projects without disrupting engineering workflows?" You can reply to this email if you would like to receive his slides.

On the blog: Transport Decarbonisation Strategy

Our Project Director, Hugo Pley-Leclercq, recently explored transport decarbonisation strategies, examining how different policy approaches intersect with infrastructure design decisions.

In this piece, Hugo examines how effective decarbonisation extends beyond electric vehicles, outlining four policy pillars that different governments are testing. From Wales' bold road investment policy to National Highways' procurement standards, he explores how early-phase optimisation and performance-driven approaches are being tested across transport networks.

While policy frameworks aren't our core focus, these regulatory trends increasingly shape the constraints our clients navigate when designing infrastructure.

Following events where you can catch us

• 9/10: Our own online webinar on sustainability at scale with ORIS
• 15/10: Highways UK - Birmingham (UK)
• 4/11: Autodesk Rail Summit - Madrid (Spain)
• 19/11: RWTH Aachen University Sustainable Road Institute Annual Meeting - Aachen (Germany)
  
  

In 2025, there's no reason to build blindly when tools exist to build bright!