National Highways, the government agency that looks after trunk roads and motorways in England, has appointed a joint venture of 聽AtkinsR茅alis and Jacobs as its 鈥榚nvironmental and sustainability technical partner鈥�.
The AtkinsR茅alis-Jacobs joint venture will be working on a new environmental sustainability strategy for National Highways, which hopes to achieve net zero emissions across England鈥檚 4,500 miles of motorways and major A-roads by 2050.
The joint venture will provide technical expertise across priority areas, including designing lower carbon roads, developing nature-based solutions, mitigating pollution, optimising resource and energy use, and better integrating roads into surrounding landscapes.
聽The three-year contract was commissioned through National Highways鈥� specialist professional and technical services framework.
Stephen Elderkin, National Highways鈥� director of environmental sustainability, said: 鈥淲e are committed to delivering on our ambitious environmental sustainability goals. We want to have a connected country and a thriving environment. This means achieving our net zero targets, contributing to nature recovery and tackling local environmental pollution for the benefit of our neighbouring communities.
鈥淚n order to achieve those goals, we need to work collaboratively to accelerate the transformation of the highway sector. Drawing on expert support from our technical partners is a crucial step towards doing just that. AtkinsRealis and Jacobs have demonstrated a strong commitment to these values, and we look forward to working with them to deliver this vision.鈥�
AtkinsR茅alis director Peter Baynham said: 鈥淓ngland鈥檚 economy depends on our strategic road network and sustainability must be at its heart, not just for environmental protection, but because resilient, low-carbon infrastructure is essential for long-term growth. This appointment builds on our extensive environmental work with National Highways, including our ongoing collaboration with Jacobs and specialist supply chain. This combined expertise enables us to engineer roads which benefit both road users and the environment, continuing our work on sustainable development across England鈥檚 highways.鈥�
Jacobs senior vice president Richard Sanderson said: 鈥淥ur integrated project delivery approach will be essential in supporting National Highways鈥� vision for a connected country and thriving environment. Leveraging our knowledge of the network and the supply chain, combined with our global environmental and sustainability capabilities, we are committed to helping National Highways foster a resilient natural environment, reduce carbon emissions and support community wellbeing.鈥�
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
