Four must-read articles that will change the way you think about decarbonisation.

Our team of forward-thinking WSP experts are dedicated to keeping decarbonisation at the forefront, paving the way for a sustainable future. Backed by meaningful data, pragmatic steps and a practical plan, WSP will empower you to create the business case for decarbonisation. Find out more below:

Building for tomorrow: National and regional planning for Clean Growth cities

In the second part of our ‘Clean Growth’ series, technical directors Nerissa Harrison and Christina Robertson discuss the importance of national and regional planning in building more environmentally friendly cities and communities - achieving great economic and social results along the way.

Planning for transport infrastructure at the national and regional level is an important part of achieving Clean Growth. Why? Because transport is the lifeblood of society – it connects people with place and sustains and expands the economy.??

At the same time, transport emissions are a major contributor to Aotearoa New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions; each year also being responsible for the early deaths of more than 2,200 people, and 9,200 respiratory-related hospital admissions.??

In planning the shape of our future urban form, there's a fantastic opportunity to take a closer look at how we use land, which, in turn, will help determine a future, low-emissions transport system.??

Read more on this here.

Winding back how far we drive: Aotearoa New Zealand’s bumpy road ahead

The Government has set an ambitious goal in Aotearoa's first Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) to cut light vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) by 20 percent by 2035. In a recent analysis of household travel data for NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi , WSP’s Thomas Prince investigated the bumpy road ahead in achieving that target.

The ERP includes several emission reduction targets and specific policies for sectors like transport. To achieve these transport sector emissions targets, the ERP proposes reducing car dependence, promoting walking, cycling, and public transport, adopting low-emission vehicles, and decarbonising heavy transport and freight.

The ERP is supported by the Decarbonising Transport Action Plan (DTAP) released by Ministry of Transport (New Zealand) - Te Manatū Waka in December 2022. Waka Kotahi plays a crucial role in meeting the ERP's ambitious emission reduction goals, facilitated by the DTAP.

One of the main ERP targets is to reduce light VKT by 20 percent by 2035. Getting there poses a significant challenge. We know from twenty years of national light VKT per capita data that Kiwis drive around 8,700 kilometres annually. Achieving the 20 percent reduction in VKT goes against decades of established driving patterns.

To meet the Government’s target, our national average per capita light vehicle travel would need to decrease to below 7,000 kilometres, a figure well under that seen in the past 20 years.

Simply put, imagine not driving at all for ten weeks of every year. That’s the scale of reduction required by the ERP. And we only have twelve years to achieve it. Can you picture making such momentous change to your current driving habits?

Read more on this here.

Revitalising regional rail in The Land of the Long White Cloud

The Māori saying ‘Tiro whakamuri, kōkiri whakamua’ translates as ‘We look back and reflect, so that we can move forward’. It’s a proverb true of many facets of life, including in the national conversation around a new regional passenger rail network for Aotearoa New Zealand. WSP technical advisory director Arnaud Deutsch , recently back from presenting on the subject in Melbourne, explains.

In revitalising regional rail, we can look back and take a cue from the Vogel Era of the 1870s. The Government of the day embarked on a massive public works scheme that included laying down a national rail network. Thousands of workers spent years sweating it out with pick, shovel, horse, and cart – building tracks through exceptionally challenging terrain.??

Aptly described as the infrastructure that made New Zealand, peak rail hit in the early 1950s when about 100 branch lines and 2,350 stations were operating up and down the country. It was a halcyon time, to be sure.??

Provincial populations and flourishing of regional industry marched in lockstep with the growth of rail, but these experienced corresponding drops as road and air travel began to assume transport supremacy. Sadly, by 2020 just three long-distance passenger rail services remained.??

We’re a far cry from the golden days of rail, but signs are pointing to a come-back. For decades, demand for regional passenger rail has simmered beneath the surface. Rail continues to have great potential – especially in linking the fast-growing Golden Triangle of Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga, and connecting our cities with provincial and tourist centres.?

Read more on this here.

Greasing the wheels of the circular economy

If there’s one thing Valentina Petrone wants you to know about the circular economy, it’s that “it goes way beyond recycling”.

Valentina is WSP's circular economy lead for Australia and New Zealand. What drives her is simple – reducing waste in the built environment. And she wants everyone in the design, engineering, and construction industry to understand its importance.

That’s why, last month, Valentina gave a presentation on the circular economy to an audience of waste management professionals at the WasteMINZ conference in Auckland.

She started with a startling statistic. One third of global carbon emissions come from the building sector. Getting that number on a downward track involves reducing the embodied carbon in materials, reducing buildings’ operational carbon, and minimising construction waste.

Think of a shiny new building. In a traditional, linear design approach, it gets constructed after resources are extracted and fashioned into brand new building products. Once the building has reached the end of its life, it’s usually demolished. The materials are often downcycled or end up in landfill.

The circular economy, on the other hand, is about designing out construction waste, keeping materials in use, and returning them back into the system. Materials – usually from existing buildings - are re-used, repaired, and refurbished for as long as possible.?

Read more on this here.