World Construction Network

Daily Newsletter

10 August 2023

Daily Newsletter

The UK's Department for Transport (DfT) has selected consultancy and construction company Mace for the STARThree Framework, worth £600m.

The STARThree Framework invites partners who can offer the DfT specialised technical and business advice for its rail and other transport projects.

This framework encompasses a wide variety of services such as project and programme management, procurement and contracting aid, economic forecasting, technical support, and strategic advising.

Mace has been added to this framework for the first time.

Mace’s participation in the framework is expected to expand existing relationships in the UK's transportation sector, with Network Rail and National Highways set to benefit from this DfT-led initiative.

Mace Consult's transportation director Sean Gray said: “Securing this new appointment with DfT is a reflection of the growth and success we’ve seen in our UK transportation business over the past few years; it’s further evidence that Mace is established as a major multimodal player in the sector.

“Alongside the opportunity to build on our experience with the likes of Network Rail, National Highways, HS2 [High Speed 2] and Abellio, we’re looking forward to forging new relationships and showcasing the full scope of our consultancy capabilities, drawing on our delivery expertise to bring new ideas and innovations - such as modern methods of construction - that will help the nation transform its transport infrastructure.”

ESG 2.0 marks a shift towards stricter environmental rules

ESG is moving into a different era, which we call ESG 2.0. While ESG 1.0 was driven by voluntary corporate action, spurred by pressure from activist consumers and investors, ESG 2.0 is being driven by a new wave of government policies. The EU has taken the regulatory lead, with rules introduced or in the pipeline that will price emissions, regulate the use of the terms ‘ESG’ and ‘sustainability’ in marketing materials, and make ESG reporting mandatory. The US has taken a different approach, favoring less regulation and more financial support in the form of tax breaks for clean industry (renewables plus nuclear and hydrogen). China is planning to expand its emissions trading system to more sectors, decarbonize its heavy industry, and ramp up its use of renewables. The new policy direction is mainly motivated by the ambition to hit net zero emissions targets. But on top of this, governments are now competing for clean industry and trying to challenge China’s leadership on the production of the world’s green technologies such as solar panels and batteries, as well as the production and refinement of materials needed for energy transition such as lithium. These driving forces are leading to policy that will impact every sector, not just heavy industry, and will keep ESG near the top of the regulatory agenda over the longer term.