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Launching a government report, Ms Spelman said that engineers had to ensure power supplies and transport networks could withstand floods, droughts and freezing weather.
Climate Resilient Infrastructure is a cross-government report that outlines the challenges to the transport, energy, water and ICT sectors. The report also sets out what action needs to be taken by infrastructure owners and operators, regulators, insurers and government.
Actions identified in the report to prepare infrastructure for a changing climate include:
- Owners and operators of infrastructure should include measures to improve climate resilience in the maintenance schedules for their assets, and ensure climate impacts are considered in the design of new infrastructure;
- Potential infrastructure investors should demand more information from companies on the climate risks to their assets and measures taken to reduce them as part of their due diligence processes;
- Professional bodies should consider if their members have the right skills to help prepare infrastructure for climate change; and
- Engineers should look to develop new materials, techniques and designs to improve the resilience of infrastructure projects to severe weather.
Speaking last week at Blackfriars Station in London, which is under-going extensive reconstruction work, Mrs Spelman said: “Our economy is built on effective transport and communications networks and reliable energy and water supplies. But the economy cannot grow if there are repeated power failures, or goods cannot be transported because roads are flooded and railways have buckled, or if intense rainfall or high temperatures disrupt Wi-Fi signals.
“£200bn is expected to be invested in the UK’s infrastructure over the next five years. But if the facilities which support our society cannot cope with floods, droughts, or freezing winters then that money will have been wasted.”
Mrs Spelman continued: “Infrastructure assets often have lives of at least 50 to 100 years so they need to be designed to function long into the future when the climate is projected to be very different.
“This presents great opportunities for British businesses to develop new technologies and processes in engineering, planning and consultancy, ICT-based technologies, renewable energy, investment, and insurance.”
The potential long-term impact of climate change has been factored into the £550m redevelopment of London Blackfriars station. The new station will be fitted with sustainability technology such as sun pipes, rain harvesting systems, thermal insulation, and photovoltaic (PV) cell solar panels to decrease its reliance on other infrastructure such as water and electricity networks.
Network Rail director of investment projects Simon Kirby said: “As a business we recognise the challenges of climate change and have a responsibility to consider this in the planning, construction and delivery of significant rail projects.
“The use of PV cells on the landmark London Blackfriars redevelopment is a major step that underlines our commitment to meeting this challenge. Not only will it help reduce our overall carbon footprint, but it is also an important benchmarking exercise which will allow us to better understand and measure over time the benefits of this technology and its future application.”
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