Expected to be finished by 2024, Auckland’s City Rail Link (CRL) is the largest infrastructure project in the City and will cater for 30,000 passengers per hour at peak times on trains that will run every 10 minutes. In Auckland, transport is responsible for about 40% of GHG emissions – the majority from road transport. By offering commuters a new possibility, Auckland will reduce its footprint and will help New Zealand to meet its international commitments on climate change.

The CRL is a good example of sustainable procurement, as sustainability underpins the whole project from conception to construction. It is the first public transport project in New Zealand to measure carbon emissions associated with its construction and operation. It also aspires to achieve zero waste to landfill. The project also has a social component, by focusing on skills legacy, apprenticeships and new jobs for the unemployed.

Key sustainability initiatives planned for the street tunnels over the project lifetime include the use of LED street-lighting, installing tree pits in the street to collect and filter stormwater runoff, and switching from diesel generators to grid electricity during construction. Furthermore, sustainability is embedded into the management systems.