As the UK’s Labour government picks up the tail-end of the ambitious £27.4 billion Road Investment Strategy (RIS2) plan, Swiss-based carbon removal provider neustark is calling for a more climate-friendly approach to road construction; urging the government to enhance existing plans by incorporating innovative materials like carbonated recycled concrete aggregate in National Highways’ projects.
The current RIS2 plan runs until March 2025, and almost all projects are either already underway or completed, however, major initiatives like the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine and Lower Thames Crossing were significantly delayed and are yet to begin. It’s crucial the government looks at these projects and understands the opportunity for permanent carbon removal, as it approaches the end of this current (RIS2) planning phase and beyond.
By supplying carbon credits, neustark is facilitating the production of carbonated recycled concrete, a material with the capacity to permanently sequester over 19,000 tons of CO₂ if used in both major road projects. This is equivalent to the emissions from 4,750 flights between London and New York.
The £27.4 billion RIS2 programme aimed to create a safer, more reliable, and greener road network, also planning to replace 957 miles of steel barriers with concrete alternatives, presenting an ideal opportunity to incorporate carbonated concrete into UK infrastructure projects.
As the UK government looks to future infrastructure plans, neustark urges policymakers, industry leaders, and procurement officials to embrace carbonated recycled concrete aggregate as a key component of the UK’s strategy to meet its 2050 net zero targets.
