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Unwrapping the Past: How telegraphs paved the way for today’s festive texts
These days, most people in the UK probably don’t give a second thought to the idea of emailing festive greetings: texting a quick ‘thank you’ on Christmas morning, or doing a video call with those who couldn’t be there to celebrate in person. Today’s smartphones conveniently allow us to communicate with others anywhere in the...
Creating a more sustainable approach to infrastructure construction
For many of us, recycling has become a part of the daily routine. We separate out glass, plastic and cardboard waste into recycling bins, to be collected and reprocessed into new products We donate old clothes to charity shops where they’re given a new lease of life. And put our garden waste in a separate...
YPP discusses net zero for the next generation
In this guest blog, we are pleased to present reflections from a recent event organised by the Commission’s Young Professionals Panel. The content reflects the discussions of event participants, rather than a Commission policy position. The UK is home to over 22 million people under the age of 30, many of whom are increasingly aware...
Better infrastructure for all, with the emphasis on all
Christmas may be a traditional time for warm words. But this blog is about moving beyond warm words to a deeper understanding of how economic infrastructure can best serve the needs of all members of society. Let me offer just one example. As we approach the shortest day of the year, there will be people...
Armitt: Exit strategy from fossil fuels will boost energy security and lower household costs
In an extended essay published in the Daily Telegraph on 29 September 2022, Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, Sir John Armitt, explores the importance of accelerating the development of renewable energy sources, cutting energy waste and boosting the take-up of low carbon heating to together help increase the UK’s energy security and reduce costs...
Charge point access remains key to expanding EV rollout
In the first National Infrastructure Assessment, the Commission made a number of recommendations about the rollout of Electric Vehicle (EVs) chargepoints, including prioritising a national rapid-charging network, allocating more local authority parking spaces for charging, and investing in a smarter electricity network. Around the same time, the Government’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV)...
Long term trends in the water industry
Today, the Commission has published four new charts (historic water data) with data stretching back to the 1960s and 1970s showing how water supply, metering, bills and investment have changed through the decades. This new data is presented along with more recent series from Ofwat and other organisations (where it is available), to show the...
James Heath: Reaching out to inform the next Assessment
There is a quote from Einstein that is, I think, very relevant to the world of public policy. He reportedly said: “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer”. While I might disagree with the smart bit (!), Einstein’s observation about the value of having time and space to...
Five lessons from our overview of infrastructure challenges
Last month the Commission published its Baseline Report for the second National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA2), identifying key challenges for the coming decades that we will explore in more detail in that Assessment. I worked as lead author on the report, pulling together work from across the Commission’s team into a single narrative. Here are some...
Warming up a new way to model future behaviours
An opinion piece by David Menzies, Modelling Lead for the National Infrastructure Commission. To a large extent, how you heat your home is your decision. For most people it’s also a decision taken when their existing heating system is at or near the end of its life. Will you keep gas central heating? Will you...
In sight but out of mind: designing infrastructure to support mental health
An opinion piece by Ann Zhang, economist at Frontier Economics and Chair of the Commission’s Young Professionals Panel. A Breath of fresh air: Green space and mental health If there is one lesson that lockdown has taught me, (aside from the fact I will never be a star baker), it is that access to green...
The long term role of cars in towns
An opinion piece by Mike Davis, Consultant Engineer at E4Tech, and Jo Garvey-Rae, Senior Cost Manager at Turner & Townsend, both members of the Commission’s Young Professionals Panel. The last 12 months has seen a renewed recognition that some towns and places are being left behind, both in terms of productivity and wider quality of...
Can local energy planning help solve ‘double challenge’ of net zero and levelling up?
An opinion piece by Cissie Liu, senior regulation analyst at SSE Plc and Mike Davis, chartered engineer and a senior consultant at E4tech; both members of the Commission’s Young Professionals Panel (YPP). Background The Commission’s YPP has committed to explore decarbonisation and levelling up as our two key themes for 2021, as both have a...
We must press the accelerator on transport decarbonisation
An opinion piece by Caroline Bryce, Asset Management Adviser at Mott MacDonald and member of the Commission’s Young Professionals Panel. The UK announced its sixth Carbon Budget earlier this year, committing to reducing emissions by 78 per cent by 2035 compared to 1990 levels. The government expects to achieve this target through investing and capitalising...
How infrastructure can help counter infection
An opinion piece by Monica Laucas, drawing on conversation with Chelsea Stefanska, Global Health Security Specialist at Mott MacDonald I recently discussed with Chelsea Stefanska, a Global Health Security Specialist at Mott MacDonald, how epidemiology can influence infrastructure design and how infrastructure can be retrofitted to be pandemic resilient. “As an infectious disease epidemiologist, it...