1. - Robert Spencer, Director, Sustainability, AECOM
Adopting the Circular Economy – Pathways to Collaboration for Infrastructure Owners and Operators
- Robert Spencer, Director, Sustainability, AECOM
8th November 2016

2. Built to deliver a better world
AECOM has grown to become the world’s No. 1-ranked engineering design firm* — delivering integrated, sustainable solutions that help clients and communities in every region of the world create and unlock new opportunities.
7 continents
92,000 employees
150+ countries
US$18B revenue
One World Trade Center
New York, New York
Crossrail
United Kingdom
*According to Engineering News-Record 2015 rankings
Pathways to collaboration for infrastructure owners and operators
January 12, 2019

3. The Circular Economy
“A circular economy is one that is restorative by design, and which aims to keep products, components and materials at their highest utility and value, at all times.”
– The Ellen MacArthur Foundation
From ‘Building Revolutions’ by Dave Cheshire of AECOM (RIBA, 2016)
Pathways to collaboration for infrastructure owners and operators
January 12, 2019

4. Pathways to collaboration for infrastructure owners and operators

5. MI-ROG Focus Inter-agency programme and supply chain collaboration
Critical materials
Innovative products and approaches
Effective procurement, taking on board CE principles
Accurate inventory of assets and components
New ownership models
Programme-level resource optimisation
Responsible sourcing
One World Trade Center
New York, New York
Crossrail
United Kingdom
Pathways to collaboration for infrastructure owners and operators
January 12, 2019

6. Case Study 1: National Grid Overhead Line Conductor
Circular Economy Approach
Traditionally:
Material flowed through recycling chain and entered commodities market
New model:
Material sent directly to be reprocessed into new conductor
(All Images courtesy of National Grid)
Pathways to collaboration for infrastructure owners and operators
January 12, 2019

7. Case Study 1: National Grid Overhead Line Conductor - Learning
(All Images courtesy of National Grid)
Pathways to collaboration for infrastructure owners and operators
January 12, 2019

8. Case Study 2: Highways England CE Routemap & Pathfinder
Governance
Establish Circular Economy Manifesto
Procurement
Contractual requirements for Circular Economy
Supply Chain Liaison:
Exploration of Capacity and motivations within the sector
Identify areas with material constraints and create opportunities for future schemes
Prioritise major schemes
Monitoring and Reporting
Tools Development
Effective monitoring of materials and resource efficiency
KPIs and reporting
Tools and Guidance
Incorporate route map, BSI standard, asset design support, etc.
Consider design life and future proofing
Dynamic platform of regional circular economy responsibilities
Material and design guidance to capture circular economy
Amendments to standards / evolving legislation
Pathways to collaboration for infrastructure owners and operators
January 12, 2019

9. Case Study 2: Highways England Pathfinder Scheme
Adoption of the Circular Economy by Highways England’s A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Improvement Scheme
Pathways to collaboration for infrastructure owners and operators
January 12, 2019

10. The Circular Economy in Infrastructure Development
Strengths W
Weaknesses O
Opportunities T
Threats
Readily builds on pre-existing LEAN and materials efficiency work
Wow! Factor and lots of momentum for implementation
Unifying concept that can align all aspects of people, planet, profit strategies
Driver for Programme-level visibility and connectivity between operators
Can be challenging to articulate CE concept – too ‘woolly’?
Infrastructure-specific cost benefit models are still emerging
Still lacking an effective programme or corporate-level measurement for circularity
Lifecycle is too long for meaningful end-of-life planning (cf. modular)
Integration with BIM and WLC
Alignment with Natural Capital and Net Positive Impact approaches
Catalyst for new procurement and purchasing models
Drives modular design and asset tracking
Basic infrastructure pathways are long-lived and can be readily re-purposed
Statutory design guidelines are often inflexible and procurement rules can prohibit innovation
Corporate Inertia and risk appetite prevent pilot scaling
Initial transaction costs can be high as supply loops are worked through
Current commercial models backed by vested interests and established down-cycling pathways
Pathways to collaboration for infrastructure owners and operators
January 12, 2019

11. Final thoughts and next steps
Slide concept courtesy of Mike de Silva at Crossrail
Can we – or should we – build with end of life in mind?
What is recoverable?
How do you measure success?
Are their actionable metrics to measure CE across major infrastructure operators?
Photo: Russ Collins, Provence & Beyond
Pathways to collaboration for infrastructure owners and operators
January 12, 2019

12. robert.spencer@aecom.com +44 (0)7765 242 482
Thank You
+44 (0)
8th November 2016