BTS lecture to explore carbon cuts for metro construction

The British Tunnelling Society (BTS) will host a lecture on 20 November examining how the Copenhagen Metro is targeting a 50% reduction in construction carbon across its new M5 line and M4 extension.

Speakers Alun Thomas and Jon Banyai from Metroselskabet will outline how the client is applying active carbon management during early design stages, including material optimisation and reduced-carbon concrete strategies. The baseline for comparison is the city’s most recently opened lines (2019 and 2024), built without formal carbon limits.

The Copenhagen Metro uses large volumes of concrete for station boxes, tunnel linings and shafts, making it a significant testbed for low-carbon concrete, lean reinforcement and embodied-carbon measurement. The work aligns closely with UK requirements under PAS 2080 and emerging client net-zero policies for large civils and underground construction.

For UK concrete and geotechnical teams, the session offers insight into how early-stage design choices, material efficiencies and innovation programmes can materially lower carbon without compromising delivery. With future UK schemes — including mass transit proposals, major stations and tunnel upgrades — expected to embed carbon limits, these international examples are increasingly relevant.

The lecture takes place at the Institution of Civil Engineers, One Great George Street, London, with refreshments sponsored by Ramboll. A livestream is also available via the BTS website.

Register here.