A practical guide to reducing carbon on local roads has been launched at Highways UK, drawing on three years of trials funded through the Department for Transport’s £30 million Live Labs 2 programme.
The Little Book of Live Labs 2 brings together evidence, lessons and tools from seven local authority-led projects. The programme involved commercial and academic partners and tested approaches on real roads across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Evidence from live road projects
ADEPT Live Labs 2 examined how local roads could be planned and maintained with carbon considered alongside cost, time and performance. Its four connected themes included procurement, carbon budgeting, street lighting and verge management.
According to the programme, the trials have generated savings in street lighting, materials and maintenance. They also reduced staff time spent on inspections and repeat visits, while changes to the delivery of major works shortened construction programmes.
The guide identifies 10 ideas that local authorities can adopt, as well as a selection of products, materials and techniques tested through the programme. It is intended to allow highway authorities to use existing evidence rather than develop every innovation from the beginning.
Call for wider adoption
Giles Perkins, programme director for Live Labs 2, said: “Low carbon doesn’t have to mean higher costs: Live Labs 2 has proven that. This document shows local authorities how to save money, time and carbon using approaches that have already been tested on real roads.
“As local road networks face fiscal pressure, ageing assets and more extreme weather, we need decisions that consider cost, time and carbon outcomes together, rather than treating carbon as a separate goal. That’s how we maintain and improve our roads, making them cheaper to run and more resilient for the future.
“The priority now is for the whole sector to work together to use this evidence. I’d urge decision makers, influencers and practitioners to read the document, look through the ideas and start putting them into practice.”
The publication also includes calls for changes needed to make successful innovation part of routine practice. Recommendations for government are due to be included in Live Labs 2’s final report to the DfT in spring 2027.