April 2026
The Road to Net Zero programme brought together highway authorities, utilities, contractors and other industry stakeholders for two successful roadshows in Birmingham and Manchester during spring 2026.
Held in Birmingham on 16 March and Manchester on 22 April, the events provided an opportunity to explore the Road to Net Zero tools, hear from experts involved in their development and, crucially, discuss how the sector can turn evidence and ambition into practical change.
The roadshows formed part of the next stage of the Road to Net Zero programme, helping us move beyond the development of tools and research towards understanding how they can be applied in practice across street works and road works.
Exploring the Road to Net Zero tools
Developed by HAUC(UK) in partnership with Transport for London, GeoPlace, the University of Birmingham and EA Technology and funded through TfL's and Kent County Council's Lane Rental schemes, the Road to Net Zero tools have been created to help organisations better understand and evaluate the impacts associated with street works and road works.
They enable users to:
- evaluate carbon emissions associated with works
- assess wider impacts, including disruption and societal effects
- compare alternative delivery scenarios
- support more strategic, evidence-based planning and decision-making.
At both roadshows, Ruth Chitate of EA Technology introduced the Road to Net Zero toolbox before delegates had the opportunity to explore the tools themselves through hands-on demonstrations of the Carbon Emissions Evaluator and Impact360 optioneering tool.
These practical sessions allowed participants to see how different choices and approaches to delivering works can affect carbon emissions and wider outcomes.
Looking beyond carbon
The roadshows were deliberately designed to look beyond the tools themselves and consider the wider changes needed if the sector is to deliver more sustainable street works and road works.
Laura Alexander-Webber (Villanueva) of Transport for London presented Building a Resilient Future: Transforming Today for a Better Tomorrow, setting the work within the wider challenge of creating infrastructure that is both sustainable and resilient.
Professor Chris Rogers of the University of Birmingham explored A Systems Approach to Understanding the Impacts of Street Works and Road Works, demonstrating why the consequences of works need to be considered across environmental, social and economic dimensions rather than through carbon emissions alone.
Chris also presented on Resilient Infrastructure Corridors, broadening the discussion to consider how infrastructure, streets, communities and the organisations responsible for them interact as part of a much wider system.
Together, these presentations provided important context for the tools and reinforced one of the central principles of Road to Net Zero: achieving better outcomes requires a whole-system approach to understanding and evaluating the consequences of the choices we make.
Co-creating a practice of change
A particularly valuable part of both roadshows was the workshop session, Co-creating a practice of change in street works and road works.
Rather than simply presenting the work completed so far, the workshops gave participants an opportunity to contribute their own knowledge, experience and perspectives.
The discussions explored what needs to change in practice, the challenges organisations face and how tools, evidence and new ways of thinking can support better decisions across the sector.
The level of engagement at both events was extremely positive. Participants contributed openly and constructively, generating valuable discussion about how Road to Net Zero can support change in real-world settings.
Importantly, the roadshows were therefore not just about sharing what the programme has produced. They were also an opportunity for the project team to listen and learn.
The ideas, experiences and feedback gathered through the workshops are now being considered by the Road to Net Zero team and will help inform the future content, development and delivery of the programme.
From evidence to action
One of the clearest messages from the two roadshows was that reaching net zero in street works and road works cannot be achieved by focusing on carbon in isolation.
Environmental impacts matter, but so do disruption, social consequences, economic impacts, infrastructure resilience and the practical realities faced by the organisations planning and delivering works.
The Road to Net Zero programme is helping to bring those considerations together, combining research, practical tools and industry experience to create a stronger evidence base for decision-making.
The Birmingham and Manchester roadshows represented an important step in that journey. They enabled us to demonstrate the tools, test ideas with the people who will ultimately use them and learn directly from the sector about what is needed to turn evidence into meaningful change.
We would like to thank everyone who attended, presented, participated in the demonstrations and contributed to the workshops. The knowledge and experience shared at both events will help shape the next phase of Road to Net Zero as we continue working together towards better, more sustainable outcomes from street works and road works.
