The ARA has lodged a submission in response to the draft NSW Protection of the Environment Policy (PEP).
The ARA’s Sustainability Committee, Rail Infrastructure Contractors Executive Committee, and the Circular Economy Working Group informed the submission, which acknowledges the importance of recognising and measuring embodied carbon and recycled materials in infrastructure projects, and the need for a data-driven approach to set the foundations for consistent and accurate reporting.
The PEP establishes a monitoring and reporting framework for carbon impacts and recycled materials on public infrastructure projects.
It will require NSW Government agencies delivering public infrastructure to consider upfront carbon emissions throughout the project lifecycle and report information to the NSW Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in line with the NSW Government Decarbonising Infrastructure Delivery Policy. It also requires agencies to preference the use of recycled materials and report on recycled materials used.
The ARA broadly agrees with the draft’s reporting metrics and timeframes, while noting that any reporting requirements inherently add to the resourcing burden placed on project delivery teams. It is therefore important that the PEP be designed to maximise alignment with existing reporting requirements, such as ISC certification, and offer guidance to streamline the process as much as possible.