We won the IRF award in the “Decarbonisation and Circular Economy” category for our collaboration with Autobahn GmbH des Bundes, the federal government company responsible for the management, planning, construction, and operation of highways in Germany. 

This is another milestone in considering sustainability at the early stages of conception to improve infrastructure.

Autobahn and ORIS are steering the wheel toward carbon neutrality

Managing and operating Germany's highways, Autobahn GmbH des Bundes is committed to providing users with a more sustainable transportation network. Especially with laws and regulations enforcing the need to consider sustainability and the impacts of climate change.

This means minimising environmental impacts while steering towards carbon neutrality. To do that, Autobahn needed a solution to assess the lifecycle of its infrastructure projects. This is where our all-in-one platform steps in. 

We collaborate with Autobahn on two specific projects: the A92 highway expansion and the A62 rest area enhancement project. We anticipate that both pilot projects will achieve double-digit reductions in carbon footprints, showcasing the effectiveness of the integrated framework we developed.

Overall, we evaluated 13 projects. We identified a potential optimisation potential of approximately 8.000 tons of CO2 equivalent, which corresponds to an average of 17% of the carbon emissions of the optimised projects - taking into account the currently applicable regulations.

The collaboration between Autobahn and us aims to deliver immediate environmental benefits while setting a precedent for future projects. This initiative fosters a culture of sustainability and innovation in the transportation sector. The systematic approach ensures long-term positive impacts on the environment and the industry.

Our innovative and integrated framework to decarbonise Autobahn’s highways

Through our collaboration with Autobahn, an integrated framework emerged that synergises transparency, control, and innovation within the life cycle of infrastructure projects, integrating advanced data analytics and lifecycle assessment tools to reduce carbon emissions and promote a circular economy. 

This integrated framework relies on three elements: transparency, control, and innovation.

Transparency in environmental impact

It represents the cornerstone of the framework, advocating for adopting a standardised methodology across projects to assess the ecological effects comprehensively. Core competencies include visibility and comparability, crucial for establishing a baseline for subsequent years. 

Automation is vital in mitigating calculation discrepancies by employing advanced dashboards for real-time tracking and identifying critical emission sources. This granularity facilitates strategic targeting and the establishment of quantifiable carbon reduction benchmarks. 

The framework ensures compliance with statutory reporting, using results and analysis dashboards to provide clear, actionable insights. 

Control in reducing carbon impact

It encompasses a strategic reduction of the carbon footprint through meticulous activity management, focusing on the core competence of optimisation. 

This includes: 

• Adopting low-carbon materials
• Enhancing design and material efficiencies
• Optimising production and construction methodologies
• Refining sourcing frameworks

Multidimensional data supports better decision-making, promoting best practices to ensure that carbon emissions reductions are achievable and allowing informed choices that drive sustainability. 

Innovation toward carbon neutrality

It drives us beyond traditional carbon neutrality thresholds. By integrating new technologies, the framework highlights the opportunity for automation in process optimisation. 

Advanced analytics enable precise forecasting and optimisation. This approach leads to carbon neutrality by continuously adapting to new technologies.

The framework for carbon neutrality can also be applied to areas such as Circular Material Flow, Resilience to Climate Change, Adaptation/Mitigation, Land Use (ground sealing), and Biodiversity. 

As the platform grows, it will incorporate additional parameters, allowing for a comprehensive, holistic assessment of all sustainability factors, including the CO2 price effect for monetisation. 

The crucial role of innovation in the infrastructure industry

Our collaboration with Autobahn showcases innovation by integrating advanced digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence in the road construction sector. The ORIS platform's capabilities in data analysis, scenario modelling, and life cycle assessment represent a significant leap forward in infrastructure project management. 

This innovative approach allows for precisely identifying carbon hotspots, optimising materials and processes, and informed decision-making. The concept of the systematic approach across a public organisation project, as it has been tested on a portfolio of pilot projects with Autobahn, further exemplifies how digital tools can transform traditional practices, leading to substantial environmental and operational improvements. 

The infrastructure industry is responsible for leading the way in decarbonising the sector. This can only be achieved through the use of digital and advanced technologies. It represents a new way of working, meaning that change is ongoing, but it is worth it as climate change impacts the entire industry and the communities relying on it to get around daily.

Winning the award for “Decarbonising and Circular Economy”

We are proud to have won the International Road Federation (IRF) award in the “Decarbonising and Circular Economy”. The IRF is an active player in the road sector, committed to the sector’s transformation towards a low-carbon economy.

This category highlights “initiatives or projects that contribute to the decarbonisation of the transportation sector and promote the principles of the circular economy. This category recognises efforts to reduce carbon emissions, minimise waste generation, and maximise resource efficiency throughout the lifecycle of road infrastructure projects”.

This award recognises our work and mission for sustainable infrastructure. We live by them daily, as do our clients when they use our ORIS platform.

It is not about winning awards but about acting now for sustainable infrastructure. 

We decarbonise the infrastructure industry by providing a reliable, all-in-one platform for the entire infrastructure ecosystem: material suppliers, contractors, engineers, and public authorities.