Published
Close to 250 members and their guests joined us for a memorable Prestige Lecture and dinner at the Institution of Civil Engineers on 5th July.
It was memorable for the Association team too, because just a few hours beforehand our keynote speaker learned that he would be called to vote in the House of Commons at the same time he was due to be standing at the lectern. As with any project our risk assessment had identified and prepared a plan B!
With a strong sustainability theme planned for the evening, members were treated to a bonus talk by our very own Emma Howard Boyd CBE, Chair of the Major Projects Association. Emma has just been appointed by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to lead the London Climate Resilience Review – an independent review into London’s preparedness for the physical impacts of climate change. Emma’s short talk about the review gave sufficient time for the Rt Hon Chris Skidmore OBE MP to hot foot it back from the Palace of Westminster to speak about his recent Mission Zero report and the role that major projects can play.
The London Climate Resilience Review
Emma firstly reminded us that sustainability has long been part of the Association’s thinking, following on from our annual conference in 2019 when we formed our Sustainability Ambassador Network and subsequently publishing our first ever position paper for COP26 on what’s needed to move major projects from being part of the problem to part of the solution. Emma explained the reason and remit of the London Climate Resilience Review, covering how to prepare for and how to respond to extreme weather events which are sadly becoming more frequent and more extreme. The review will cover both the cost of action/mitigation and the cost of inaction. Emma emphasised that the recommendations will be based on pragmatism focusing on what can realistically be done, reflecting that she was talking to a room full of delivery-oriented professionals. Her remark that the forecast date to improve the Thames Barrier flood defence is now 2050 rather than 2065 caught the attention of our members present – in planning terms that means we are already behind schedule! The call for evidence is open until 2nd September 2023 and the report will be published in December. Members can take part in the review here.
The path to Net Zero
Chris’s talk gave recognition to the many major projects already underway that are progressing the journey to Net Zero, from new nuclear and biomass turbines to power transmission tunnels. But he threw down the gauntlet to those present to step up, through major projects, to help deliver the missions identified in his report and also take the leadership opportunity that transition to net zero provides the UK. He emphasised the need for deadlines to drive action and maintain momentum by highlighting that the three months it took to complete the review was 1% of the time remaining to deliver net zero. Every three months spent debating and pontificating on what needs to be done is simply increasing the size of the task in the remaining months. He highlighted that striving for low carbon was no longer an imposition but an opportunity, with investors around the world seeking projects that meet their sustainability goals. He flagged risks about ongoing investment or commitment to projects that could result in stranded assets and emphasised the importance of transition plans. Chris shared his thoughts on how the path to net zero needs to endure political cycles and spending reviews, which was the essence of proposing a missions-based approach. Chris concluded by asking us to set high ambitions and to become a global leader for tackling net zero and the wider climate and nature emergency.
Emma rejoined Chris on the stage for some questions by infrastructure journalist, Antony Oliver, who then invited further questions from the audience. There were lots of great questions which Emma and Chris answered frankly and, in some cases, bluntly. There were too many highlights for me to capture, but my key take-away from one of Chris’s answers was: “Don’t just do it, but do it well.”
Recording of the talks
For those who missed the talks or those who would like to hear it again, you can watch the recording below.