ABSTRACT
The Copenhagen Metro, Metroselskabet, has an ambition to reduce the carbon footprint of new constructions by 50%. The baseline is set as “a current design approach in which there is no consideration of carbon” and this is largely defined by the most recently opened line in 2019. To achieve this, Metroselskabet is applying a process of active carbon management. Carbon management must be seen in a holistic sense. This process must run from the very start of a project through its whole life cycle - if one wants to borrow the terminology of the circular economy, from cradle to cradle. If any part of this process is omitted or weakened, there is a risk that the desired carbon reductions will not be achieved. Innovation is essential if we are to build better metros in the future. A dedicated innovation team is exploring all parts of our system and ways to improve them, including reducing embodied or operational carbon. This paper will present examples of innovations which have made significant carbon savings. The carbon accounting is driven by BIM data from an early stage of planning (i.e. the concept design for the Environmental Impact Assessment). This naturally increases as the design progresses. The carbon estimate is aligned with the cost estimate so that the impacts of each one on the other is transparent. During construction, the plan is to continue this by monitoring the carbon “spend” via normal progress monitoring which is based on the Bill of Quantities and As-Built BIM data. The BIM object coding is the same as the Asset Management object identification system so this merges seamlessly into the operation phase. While this paper focuses on the carbon footprint, the authors recognise that this is only one narrow aspect of sustainability. Metroselskabet is actively working to improve all aspects of sustainability.
