Resources

Purpose

This note is to advise that the Infrastructure Delivery Resource Efficiency Policy for Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has been introduced to be used on all of its future projects meeting the criteria set out in the policy.  Other road controlling authorities are welcome to use this information for development of their own policy responses. The full policy is available here:

Resource Efficiency Policy for Infrastructure Delivery and Maintenance

General information

Waka Kotahi has a vision for a low carbon, safe and healthy land transport system. Toitū Te Taiao, our Sustainability Action Plan, sets out our key focus areas and headline actions that will help us to achieve our vision. Te Hiringa o te Taiao is our strategy document for resource efficiency and can be downloaded here:

Te Hiringa o te Taiao ­– our resource efficiency strategy [PDF, 5.4 MB]

This document sets out what Waka Kotahi will do to reduce the environmental impact our work has and the operational and embodied carbon emissions created in our projects and maintenance work.

Our Infrastructure Delivery Resource Efficiency Policy covers infrastructure improvement projects that are either fully or partly funded by Waka Kotahi and our maintenance contracts.  It sets out requirements for assessing opportunities for resource efficiency and developing a plan to implement these. It also sets out annual reporting requirements for energy, material use and waste. We will be using a tiered approach to implement the policy, which is structured such that larger projects have the broadest reporting requirements and the smallest projects the least.

Purpose of the notice

The purpose of the notice is to advise on the new Infrastructure Delivery Resource Efficiency Policy and the framework to be used for assessing resource efficiency opportunities in all of our Waka Kotahi projects and maintenance contracts. This note is also to make our suppliers aware of the changes in our expectations and requirements related to the implementation of sustainability initiatives throughout all of our projects.  It is also available for other partners to garner ideas for developing their own approaches to resource efficiency and feedback, ideas and case studies are welcome.

Updated policy

The approved Infrastructure Delivery Resource Efficiency Policy requires the following:

Waka Kotahi infrastructure improvement projects

All Waka Kotahi infrastructure improvement projects shall as a minimum and in accordance with P48 Resource Efficiency Specification and the Resource Efficiency Guideline:

• Evaluate opportunities for resource efficiency during the early business case phases and at subsequent project stages.

This evaluation shall be aligned with the business case and project lifecycle requirements of Minimum Standard Z/19 – Environmental and Sustainability.

• Develop a Resource Efficiency and Waste Minimisation Plan (REWMP).

This REWMP shall outline actions that will be taken to reduce energy and greenhouse gas emissions, increase uptake of recycled and alternative materials, reduce use of virgin and high carbon intensity materials, reduce water consumption and reduce waste. This may be incorporated into a broader Environmental Management Plan for the project.

• Report on energy use, material use, carbon footprint, water consumption and waste, if the project is of 12-months duration or longer.

This information shall be provided to Waka Kotahi on an agreed basis, but at least annually during the implementation phase of the project.

If a project is required to complete ISCA certification then reporting will follow the requirements for embodied carbon (materials), energy, water and waste in accordance with P47 Sustainability Rating Scheme Specification.

• All projects with capital value >$15 million shall also consider setting targets for resource efficiency in accordance with P48 Resource Efficiency Specification and the Resource Efficiency Guideline.
• Work with the procurement team and wider project team to ensure the ‘Environmental and Sustainability’ Target Outcome Area of the Broader Outcomes Strategy aligns with, and/or complements the resource efficiency outcomes pursued as a secondary benefit on any project.

Other projects

• Other projects that have been allocated funding from the National Land Transport Fund shall also consider resource efficiency opportunities in accordance with the Resource Efficiency Guideline.

Waka Kotahi maintenance contracts

All maintenance contracts shall as a minimum:

• Develop a Resource Efficiency and Waste Minimisation (REWMP) Plan as part of their Environmental Management Plan to identify and implement opportunities to reduce energy and greenhouse gas emissions, increase uptake of recycled and alternative materials, reduce use of virgin and high carbon intensity materials, reduce water consumption and reduce waste.

The REWMP plan shall be developed in accordance with the Guideline for Preparing an Environmental Management Plan and Resource Efficiency Guideline.

• Report to Waka Kotahi, at least annually, on energy use, material use, carbon footprint, water consumption and waste in accordance with the Resource Efficiency Guideline.
• Include at least one resource efficiency initiative within their environmental KPIs.
• Work with the procurement team and wider project team to ensure the ‘Environmental and Sustainability’ Target Outcome Area of the Broader Outcomes Strategy aligns with, and/or complements the resource efficiency outcomes pursued as a secondary benefit on any project.

Communication plan

The specific target audience for this notice are Waka Kotahi staff and those external consultants and contractors who assist during the business case stage and with the delivery of the design and construction of our infrastructure improvement projects and with maintenance contracts.  It is recognised that there is also a wider potential sector audience who may be interested, so look for further notices as advice of these changes will be promulgated by:

• this note advising the update to our policy
• direct access via the website and intranet
• internal and external training workshops
• industry presentation and engagement.

Implementation

The requirement to implement the Infrastructure Delivery Resource Efficiency Policy applies to all Waka Kotahi projects and maintenance contracts. The key steps and processes include:

• A tiered threshold approach has been taken to categorise projects by capital value, as per the P48 Infrastructure Delivery Resource Efficiency Specification, with different levels of reporting and carbon footprint calculations required.
• All projects will be required to prepare a Resource Efficiency & Waste Minimisation Plan (REWMP), however the level of detail in these plans will be commensurate with the size of the project.
• The level of reporting and other requirements (ie performance levels & carbon footprint calculation) will be indicated in tender documents and will form part of the Minimum Requirements or Principal Requirements of the project delivery contract.
• The requirements for contractors and designers involved in the application of the Policy are outlined in the P48 Resource Efficiency Specification

This Policy and associated documents are currently published for use on the Waka Kotahi website and (internally) on InfoHub. Relevant affected publications, including Z19, P47, SM030 and SM031 will be updated in due course.

Effectiveness review

Operational policies are subject to continual development and changes. To ensure the Infrastructure Delivery Resource Efficiency Policy is up to date with these changes, we will review the effectiveness of the Policy and its application in driving wider sustainability outcomes and benefits following the first year of implementation and every three years following.

Publication details

Author: Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
Published: August 2021
Version: 1
Location: Resource Efficiency Policy for Infrastructure Delivery and Maintenance

Further information

If you have any questions or feedback, please contact Sharon Atkins - Principal Environmental Specialist at environment@nzta.govt.nz

Signed:

Greg Haldane
Chair, Ratification Group

Vanessa Browne
Delegated Approver