The Antarctic Estate comprises a series of buildings and infrastructure some of which dates to the 1970s and 1980s. The Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme (AIMP) will deliver critical new and updated buildings and a new energy infrastructure including renewable energy generation and smart energy systems.
When delivering a programme of major construction projects, the programme’s impacts on environment, the Antarctic community, and ability to deliver the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) science programme has to be carefully considered. The AIMP has a robust approach to sustainability that comprises:
BAS responsibility includes changing the way the organisation operates and has strategic targets to meet with regards to climate change impacts.
BAS as an organisation has committed to achieve Net Zero from our directly owned operations by 2040*** and Rothera research station aims to decarbonise its operational activity by 2030. The AIMP is supporting these targets by incorporating the carbon targets in a wider AIMP Sustainability Strategy.
*** Aligned with the net zero commitments of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
Several projects fall under the Sustainability Umbrella to ensure AIMP maintains the highest standards and minimal environmental impact. These include:
Rothera Climate Risk Assessments:
To ensure that new infrastructure constructed at Rothera is resilient for the future climate, all AIMP projects must undertake a Climate Risk Assessment (CRA). Regionally specific climate projections for the Antarctic Peninsula relevant to Rothera up until 2100 have been developed through collaboration between BAS Innovation, AIMP and the Atmosphere Ice and Climate (AIC) team.
The CRAs will allow for improved design decisions when considering the future climate. Combining this updated information with a project specific climate risk assessment, the project teams can now plan and design for increased resilience and more efficient use of the assets. Additionally, any potential negative impacts associated with climate change can be mitigated.
Sustainability Management Plans
Sustainability Management Plans (SMP) are implemented on all AIMP projects. The project is iteratively reviewed against its own sustainability targets and the AIMP Sustainability Strategy throughout the project design and delivery stages. This helps to identify opportunities for sustainability in areas such as energy use, environmental impact, water or health & wellbeing.
PAS 2080: Whole Life Carbon Brief
All AIMP projects aim to positively contribute to the BAS Net Zero targets by following the PAS 2080 Carbon Management in Buildings and Infrastructure industry standard. To support this work, AIMP has recently developed guidance for project managers and carbon assessors across the programme to help project teams properly consider carbon from the outset. The guide includes a standardised methodology for Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions calculations across the project lifecycle and highlights how key design decisions can influence a project’s carbon profile.
The AIMP Sustainability Strategy comprises eight major sustainability themes. The strategy was designed using the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a framework to understand what opportunities are present within the AIMP which could be maximised and what impacts are to be managed.
All individual projects must demonstrate their contribution to each of the strategy’s aims and objectives.
Create and maintain healthy working areas
Develop and maintain inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable BAS Antarctic communities
Prioritise action to combat climate change and its impacts
Interact sustainably with the Antarctic environment
Create an efficient, reliable and sustainable Antarctic energy network
Maintain an efficient and sustainable water and wastewater regime
Ensure resilient facilities through sustainable and appropriately innovative design
Ensure responsible sourcing and efficient use of all resources through sustainable design and procurement
To track AIMP progress on the strategic aims, every project develops a Sustainability Management Plan (SMP) which tracks the project team’s decision-making.
There are additional sustainability processes embedded within the SMP to further support decision-making at project, programme and at organisational level:
Managing climate change adaptation
Climate change in Antarctica is an area which is being studied carefully by BAS scientists and the AIMP applies the knowledge to the design of BAS’ future assets. Climate change presents risks to Antarctic buildings and the people that live and work in them which AIMP designers need to identify and manage through design mitigation measures. As the climate changes, such as Antarctica experiencing more precipitation, BAS assets need to respond and adapt accordingly to maintain their longevity and provide suitable spaces for the Antarctic community across the estate.
Managing materials
Bringing materials to the Antarctic Estate and back is costly, requires complex logistics planning and storage options are limited. As such, there is a significant incentive to minimise materials use, maximise reuse on station, and reduce waste as much as possible. All projects will use a Materials Management Plan which implements the waste hierarchy, aims to increase the circularity of materials across the Antarctic Estate and improves sustainable procurement in the AIMP supply chain.
Accrediting performance
To give further assurance on AIMP sustainability performance, all projects will target BREEAM. BREEAM is a sustainability assessment method for buildings and infrastructure developed and managed by the Building Research Establishment (BRE). Projects which can evidence their sustainability credentials through the BREEAM credit system are awarded a ranking. All projects are targeting BREEAM Excellent as a minimum.
Further work on other sustainability issues such as a strategic sustainability appraisal, sustainability assurance, post occupancy evaluation, innovation, responsible procurement and integration of data with AIMP Building Information Management (BIM) is planned in the near future.
AIMP Sustainability Manager
AIMP, Meet the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme Team
Project Manager AIMP Rothera Renewable Energy
AIMP, Meet the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme Team
AIMP Trainee Sustainability Advisor
AIMP, Meet the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme Team
Industry project delivery partners
Our in-house project management works closely with external partners to deliver the sustainability aspects of modernisation projects at BAS Antarctic research stations.
2 April, 2024 by Katie Handford
As the Antarctic winter season fast approaches, we’ll be following the journey of one of the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme’s (AIMP) Assistant Project Managers, Katie Handford as she gears up to spend winter at Rothera Research Station in Antarctica.
15 January, 2025
Welcome to our fourth Postcard from Rothera Research Station, giving you an update on the latest progress as we modernise our largest station in Antarctica. Modernisation progress The season is …
10 July, 2024
Construction teams have completed significant stages of the British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme and joined the over-wintering staff for the first time as the 2023/24 summer season ended. The improvements, led by BAM and technical advisors Ramboll will transform future science and operations at Rothera, the UK’s largest polar research station in Antarctica.
27 November, 2023
Construction has begun in Antarctica for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) with specialists arriving at Rothera Research Station to progress several projects to secure the future of polar operations and …
