Contents
Introduction
Devon County Council have declared a climate emergency. The Council reports its carbon footprint each year and has a target and a plan to become net-zero carbon by 2030, including emissions from its purchasing of goods and services.
A Low-Cost Carbon Procurement Strategy is in development. This document will help guide how the Highways and Infrastructure Development Group (HID) engage with supply chains going forward.
Value chains can be one of the biggest emitters of carbon. Devon’s delivery models for the operation and maintenance of highways as well as the development of new infrastructure predominantly relies on supply chains. These are referred to as scope 3 emissions.
1. Scope
This document offers a vision and strategy for the following groups:
- Highways and Traffic Management.
- Engineering Design Group and Built Environments.
This document relates to delivery chain emissions that arise from construction work activities. It does not cover the reduction required for DCC direct emissions (DCC staff/buildings/premises, etc) or other design services provided through contract (such as consultancy works).
2. Strategy objectives
To investigate, consider and embed new ways of working that help reduce the carbon output when designing and commissioning construction works for new assets and highway maintenance operations.
3. How we will get there
4. Document governance
To be fully effective, this document requires a governance structure. This will enable the reporting and reaction cycle to offer value.
The following governance has been implemented:
| Forum | Frequency | Reporting Lines |
| Carbon Knowledge Share A group to share innovations for carbon reduction across HID | Quarterly | Decarbonisation Board |
| Decarbonisation Board Forum that owns the Decarbonisation Strategy and make decisions for change on policy, resource, and change. | Bi-Monthly | Environmental Performance Group A corporate Group whose objective is to achieve the corporate Carbon Plan |
The Decarbonisation Strategy will be a live document, reviewed and managed by the Decarbonisation Board. Major Changes shall be discussed with the member portfolio holders for highways and environment.
The changes required by this strategy may expand further than this document alone, e.g. changes to other specifications and policies. All such changes shall be proposed from the Decarbonisation Board to the relevant policy owners/groups in advance of a change to this strategy.
5. Reporting scopes
Devon’s first step in the journey to reduce carbon is to be able to report confidently on its carbon emissions with confidence.
Reporting is grouped into 3 areas:
5.1 Scope 1 – Burn
Direction emissions: Running of boilers or vehicles.
5.2 Scope 2 – Buy
Indirect emissions: Purchase of electricity for a County Hall.
5.3 Scope 3 – Beyond
Supply chain emissions: Up or downstream from supply chains, including construction works phase. Includes DCC home working and commuting.
Devon’s corporate environmental team report on scopes 1 & 2. They also manage the ambition to report on Scope 3 for DCC homeworking and commuting. HID have a responsibility to report on the remaining scope 3 elements. These emissions will be calculated and reported in line with the international standards laid down by the Green House Protocol. followed.
6. Carbon terminology
Carbon In-setting: This is a term that describes any carbon reduction measure within the supply chain.
Carbon Off-setting: The action or process of compensating for carbon dioxide emissions arising from our works, by participating in schemes designed to make equivalent reductions of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
7. Baselines
Footprinting, also known as ‘carbon accounting,’ provides the baseline needed for Devon to implement a decarbonisation strategy. Initial baseline information was developed in 2020 in conjunction with Exeter University.
The Devon approach is to baseline:
- Per works activity e.g. patching
- Per unit value e.g.m2
The baseline year for most datasets is 2021. The business model described below outlines a more dynamic method of baselining, where changes can be tracked going forward month on month can be tracked going forward month on month.
8. Business model
The business model is a ‘plan, do, check, and act’ continuous improvement model. It automates the ability to view data provided by the supply chains.
Supply chains use the Devon webform to feedback granular data on their construction works, in line with contract requirements. This is then automatically calculated into a carbon emission figure which can be interrogated via digital systems. Teams and individuals use this information to make informed decisions on how to commission and design future works.
The above approach offers consistency in calculation across all suppliers, enabling benchmarking and best practices to be highlighted. The calculation method will follow the Carbon Calculation and Accountancy Standards, published by the Future Highways Research Group and ADEPT.
9. Design
A Designers Carbon Impact Tool has been developed. This should be used proportionally when designing schemes and enables teams to profile the carbon impact on different technical solutions.
Our ambition is to ‘design out’ carbon.
In 2023, the Engineering Design Group placed a successful bid that secured support for a carbon negative scheme associated with improvements to the A382 between Drumbridges and Newton Abbot. This was achieved through Live Labs 2, a UK wide fund that supports innovations for decarbonisation across local roads. Amongst other innovations, this initiative offers an opportunity to future proof the Designers Carbon Impact Tool, allowing HID to continue its journey to ‘design out carbon.’
10. Targets
Decarbonisation targets often fall into the following categories:
Absolute – The total amount of emissions being emitted
Intensity – A normalised metric that sets emissions targets relative to some sort of economic output e.g number of staff
Long term – There are corporate objectives covered in DCCs Carbon Plan
This strategy contains activity targets. These will help offer direction and vision. They will guide the right behaviours for change.
In 2025/6 the introduction of numerical targets will be considered. Such targets will only be introduced when there is enough knowledge to ensure they will be achievable and realistic. Please see Appendix 1 – Targets list.
11. Carbon factors
Carbon Factors are necessary to undertake the calculation of carbon emissions. They are factors used to report on greenhouse gases by taking energy use and converting it into common units for carbon emissions. When calculating carbon, the following hierarchy to carbon factors shall be followed:
- Environmental Product Declaration: This is a document that provides information about the environmental impact of a product through its lifecycle. EPD’s make it possible to compare products and consider the most sustainable approach.
- Manufacturer Data: On occasions, manufacturers may have sufficient data (without EPD’s accreditation). If there is high confidence in the data provided, it can offer a more accurate reflection then a generic carbon factor. These would always need to be checked by a competent source before being used.
- Generic Carbon Factors: These are produced by various bodies and offer a generic approach. Examples include GHG, ICE, NH.
12. Asset Management Approach
The Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Plan describes how the Council’s Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Strategy will be delivered. Understanding the leadership role that it has in reducing carbon usage, the Plan shows how the Council’s highway related decision-making processes are developing to meet key objectives of the Strategy. These include reducing the carbon emissions associated with the maintenance of all highway assets and working towards a carbon net zero position by 2030. Reducing carbon emissions in the selection of highway materials and maintenance repairs is becoming as important in the Council’s decision making as both quality and cost.
HID will consider not only the in-scheme emissions for works, but also the lifecycle analysis of carbon. HID will shall also consider the cost to Devon to ‘off set’ any emissions from their schemes alongside the financial cost to commission the works. This will offer a true reflection of costs going forward.
This document intends to support and strengthen the actions to meet those objectives.
13. Data display
The business model for reporting relies heavily on a data lead decision making approach. To support this, several dashboards will be made available to all teams. These will be updated every 24 hours to ensure the data being used is timely.
14. Procurement
All procurement will follow the corporate Low-Cost Carbon Procurement Strategy when available. All new contracts shall include the requirements for reporting and data sharing in line with this strategy.
15. Training
It is the services desire to become ‘carbon literate’ and embed this in our everyday way of working. This will require the service to commit to support for upskilling teams in carbon knowledge.
16. Auditing
Data accuracy is essential to the model operating successfully. Please see appendix 2 – the audit regime for carbon data.
Appendix 1 Carbon Data Quality Audit Process
HBST to update any confirmed data errors in the carbon admin centre.
Commissioning team to feedback any or improvement points to the contractor, offering guidance and support for future submissions.
Commissioning team shall cross reference the submission against the BoQ and works design.
HSBT to share the following data back with the team that commissioned the works:
- Location
- Work dates
- Contractor
- Plant list
- Materials and volumes
- Volumes of work and works types
- Waste type/details
- Vehicle list/distance travelled
Highways Systems Business Team (HSBT) shall extract 5% initially of submissions from the carbon admin system (Quarterly minimum). Audit sample shall include:
- A cross sample of contracts
- A cross sample of Contractors
- A cross sample of works type
Commissioning team to feedback any or improvement points to the contractor, offering guidance and support for future submissio
Carbon data received through webform and stored in data lake. (Azure)
N.B. Internal error reports will also be monitored frequently to ensure data is flowing correctly through the system. This will be supported by the Highways Intelligence Team.
Appendix 3 – Acronyms
| Acronym | Definition |
| GHG | Green House Gases |
| ICE | Institute of Civil Engineers |
| NH | National Highways |
| EPD | Environmental Product Declaration |
| ADEPT | Association of Directions of Environment. Economy, Planning and Transport |