The NSW Decarbonising Infrastructure Delivery Policy (the Policy) and accompanying Embodied Carbon Measurement in Infrastructure: Technical Guidance (Measurement Guidance), released in April 2024, have come into effect in April 2025.
The Policy sets expectations for NSW Government delivery agencies for managing upfront and embodied carbon on public infrastructure projects.
The Toolkit comprises of fact sheets, templates, worked examples and case studies that also aim to uplift decarbonisation capability within industry. The resources were informed by a Decarbonisation Capability Survey undertaken in 2024, which was a collaborative effort with the MECLA Readiness Working Group. The session also provides an overview of key findings and insights, along with some next steps on readiness and capability uplift for Infrastructure NSW and MECLA.
Average values for upfront carbon emissions from the NSW Embodied Carbon Databook v11 are tabulated below.
| Pipe Type | Unit | Upfront carbon emissions – Quantity basis (kgCO2e/unit) – Average |
| Ductile Iron Pipes | tonne | 1,554.69 |
| Fibreglass pipe and tube | tonne | 9,234.48 |
| Geopolymer pipes | tonne | 156.96 |
| PE Pipes | tonne | 2,946.00 |
| PP Pipes | tonne | 3,155.00 |
| PVC Pipes | tonne | 3,584.00 |
| Steel pipe and tube | tonne | 2,795.00 |
| Precast concrete – major civil (e.g. bridges) | Refer to TfNSW ECCL** | |
| Precast concrete – standard civil (e.g. culverts) | Refer to TfNSW ECCL** | |
| Reinforced Concrete Pipes | tonne | 301.00 |