The topic of the Association’s 2019 annual conference was Sustainability and the Circular Economy. We discussed ways in which the major projects sectors could contribute to the circular economy and build sustainability into our work.

At the end of the conference we made a number of commitments:

Establishing leadership on the topic of Sustainability – via our Board level Task and Finish Group
Establishing a knowledge sharing platform – our Ambassadors Network
Identifying Personal and Business Pledge Schemes
Creating a Sustainability Playbook
Creating a glossary of terms and concepts used in discussions about Sustainability and the Circular Economy
Agreeing a position paper with our members on our shared commitment to the environmental sustainability of major projects

The Sustainability Ambassador Network

The Major Projects Association Sustainability Ambassador Network is a collaborative working forum on the topics of sustainability and climate change. The purpose of the network is to champion good practice and effective initiatives that can deliver a step change in the performance of our member organisations in the initiation and sustainable delivery of major projects that are consistent with the Net Zero commitment. If you are passionate about this topic and don’t have an Ambassador from your organisation please email Ellie Gregory via mpa@majorprojects.org.

Resources

Podcast: Turning Sustainability into Action Across Major Projects

In this episode of the Major Projects Association podcast, Executive Director Andy Murray is joined by Alice Poole, Associate Partner at PA Consulting, and Janet Greenwood, Global Lead for Sustainable Infrastructure at KPMG, to explore how sustainability can be meaningfully embedded across the lifecycle of major projects.

Building on insights from our October 2025 event on collaborating with supply chains, this conversation acts as a bridge to our recent seminar Sustainable futures: Embedding action in major projects, focusing on turning ambition into action and embedding sustainability into everyday project delivery.
Listen to the episode | Watch the episode

Major Projects Sustainability Playbook

Major Projects Sustainability Playbook

Following our seminar ‘No Planet B! So, what can I do?’ held in April 2024, we have worked with colleagues from KPMG to create a Sustainability Playbook which incorporates key lessons and learnings from the event.

This playbook was developed to support project professionals in defining, procuring, designing, constructing and operating sustainable projects. It complements and signposts the myriad of existing guidance and standards that already exist for professionals from all project lifecycles stages, aiming to support practitioners of all types. Going beyond cost, time, scope and risk, this playbook aims to support project teams to consider nature and biodiversity, carbon and the environment, resilience and adaptation and social value throughout a project lifecycle.

Presentation: ‘No Planet B! So, what can I do?’ Major Projects Sustainability Playbook

Watch the presentation given by Janet Greenwood, Global Lead for Sustainable Infrastructure at KPMG and Chair of the Sustainability Ambassador Network, at the virtual event Building Green Britain – The projects we need, in a culture that delivers on 30th April 2025.  Janet outlines the Sustainability Playbook’s origins and how it can support project professionals to embed sustainability into every phase of major projects.

Guest speaker presentations

The Sustainability Ambassador Network meets regularly throughout the year through webinars and meet-ups which often include guest speakers from across the membership and externally.

Sustainable soils
23rd July 2026
Guest speaker: Lee Ollerenshaw

Healthy soils play a vital role in carbon storage, biodiversity and resilient infrastructure, yet construction can have a significant impact on them. In this recording from the July 2026 Sustainability Ambassador Network meeting, Lee Ollerenshaw, Carbon and Innovation Lead on the Strategic Pipeline Alliance (SPA) Innovation Project, explains how the project is helping Anglian Water better understand the impact of pipeline construction on soil health and carbon. Drawing on research with the University of Lincoln, he explores practical approaches to protecting soils, supporting farmers and reducing the carbon footprint of major infrastructure projects. View the presentation slides.

Qflow: Sustainability by stealth
25th June 2026
Guest speaker: Brittany Harris

At the June 2026 Sustainability Ambassador Network meeting, Brittany Harris of Qualis Flow explored how better materials and waste data can help embed sustainability into project delivery. Demonstrating the concept of “sustainability by stealth”, Brittany showed how accurate, AI-enabled data can improve quality, cost and programme performance while providing trusted sustainability insights, helping major projects reduce waste, avoid rework and make more informed decisions.

Regenerative by design
21st May 2026
Guest speaker: Dave Cheshire

At the May 2026 Sustainability Ambassador Network meeting, Dave Cheshire of AECOM explored how regenerative design can reshape the future of infrastructure and the built environment. Drawing on global case studies and insights from his books Building Revolutions and Regenerative by Design, Dave examined how systems thinking, ecosystem services, and circular resource flows can help projects move beyond “less bad” sustainability towards creating net positive outcomes for people and planet.

Peak Cluster
26th February 2026
Guest speaker: John Egan

At the February Sustainability Ambassadors meeting, John Egan of Progressive Energy presented on Peak Cluster, a major carbon capture and storage initiative aimed at decarbonising cement and lime production in Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Responsible for around 40% of the UK’s cement and lime output, the region is central to the country’s construction supply chain but also a significant source of industrial emissions.

John outlined how Peak Cluster will capture more than three million tonnes of CO₂ each year and transport it via new pipeline infrastructure for permanent storage in depleted gas reservoirs beneath the East Irish Sea. He explored the strategic case for the project, its development timeline, and how it seeks to cut emissions while protecting skilled jobs and strengthening the long-term resilience of UK industry. View the presentation slides here.

Net Zero Infrastructure Industry Coalition: Think Systems
22nd January 2026
Guest speakers: Brendan Bromwich and Kerri McClymont

At the January 2026 Sustainability Ambassador Network meeting, Brendan Bromwich and Kerri McClymont of Mott MacDonald explored how systems thinking can be applied to the challenge of decarbonising major infrastructure. Drawing on real-world case studies and a practical A–E framework, they highlighted how taking a whole-system view can unlock interconnected solutions, avoid unintended consequences, and support more adaptive, collaborative decision-making across complex projects. View the presentation slides here.

Forum for Circular Infrastructure (FCI)
27th November 2025
Guest speaker: Mike Bains

At the November 2025 Sustainability Ambassador Network meeting guest presenter Mike Bains of AECOM explored the principles of the circular economy in infrastructure and introduced key insights from a recent paper on specifying for circularity, highlighting why clear objectives, measurement, and flexibility are essential for driving meaningful change in major projects.

TfL: Our green vision for our supply chain
30th October 2025
Guest speakers: Jane Wright and Anna Fish

In this video, Transport for London’s Jane Wright and Anna Fish introduce TfL’s Green Vision and explain how it’s shaping sustainability across major infrastructure and construction projects. They share the thinking behind the strategy, the key environmental themes it covers, and how TfL is working collaboratively with its supply chain to drive real, practical change.

National Highways Road to net Zero Plan
24th September 2025
Guest speaker: Paul Unwin

Paul Unwin from National Highways shared the organisation’s Road to Net Zero strategy. He highlighted how climate change is already affecting the road network through heat, flooding and storms, and outlined plans to reach net zero in corporate operations by 2030, construction and maintenance by 2040, and road users by 2050. Paul described progress made with renewable energy, LED lighting, tree planting and low-carbon materials, and stressed the importance of innovation, collaboration and early-stage design to deliver lasting change. View the presentation slides here.

South West Infrastructure Partnership: Driving a Sustainable Future
13th March 2025
Guest speaker: Professor Colin Taylor

Professor Colin Taylor, Chair of the South West Infrastructure Partnership (SWIP) shared how SWIP is building a collaborative, regional approach to achieving Net Zero. Drawing on extensive research and practical experience, his presentation highlighted why joined-up thinking and new value chains are essential to creating resilient, sustainable infrastructure for the South West.

Bioregion Portfolio Fund For UK Community Nature Recovery
28th November 2024
Guest speaker: Christoph Warrack

Christoph Warrack from the Bioregion Portfolio Fund introduces Woodland Savers, an initiative empowering communities to buy and manage land for nature recovery. Drawing from his background as a social entrepreneur and climate finance consultant, Christoph outlines how his team connects grassroots efforts with large-scale institutional funding to reverse nature decline in the UK.

From Waste to Impact: Scaling Circular Innovation in Major Projects
2nd May 2024
Guest speaker: Isabelle Linden

Isabelle Linden is the COO of etsaW Ventures, a venture studio specialising in building climate tech solutions in material and waste innovations. In this talk, Isabelle shares her journey from project management to founding etsaW Ventures. She explores the critical role of startups in transforming waste and material systems, highlights barriers to scaling sustainable solutions, and offers insights into how major projects can embed innovation to meet net zero goals.

Construction Client Leadership On Transition To Net Zero: The Five-point Plan
4th March 2024
Guest speaker: Andrew Kidd

Andrew Kidd, Director of Environmental Sustainability for the Lower Thames Crossing at National Highways, discusses the project’s role as a pathfinder for low-carbon infrastructure, emphasizing the importance of decarbonizing construction and integrating sustainability throughout the project lifecycle. Andrew Kidd highlights the importance of embedding sustainability into major infrastructure projects and the collective responsibility to drive meaningful environmental change.

Sustainability Pledges

One of the tasks of the Sustainability Ambassador Network was to identify pledges which would be appropriate for individuals, companies and major projects.

Pledges for Major Project Association members to consider

Pledges are formally issued, solemnly made (but not legally binding) agreements or targets.

There are a whole host of pledges on the market – this can make it difficult to find one appropriate for your company’s need.

We have chosen pledges in terms of relevance to MPA members as detailed below.

Why should Major Project Association members pledge?

Pledges are valuable for a large number of reasons:

  • Summarises a common goal / unifies an industry standard aim
  • Identifies commitment and track progress
  • Offers a support network for meeting the targets (experts/tools & techniques)

Pledge Structure

We have chosen a selection of 4 pledges to recommend. This includes one overarching pledge, and a pledge for an area within each of the sustainability triple bottom line: a social, and environmental and a governance pledge.