The UK government has issued a revised Draft Airports National Policy Statement that advances Heathrow Airport Ltd’s proposal for a third runway, signalling renewed political backing for major expansion at the hub. The framework is a key step in the Development Consent Order process under the Planning Act 2008, setting out need, policy tests and assessment criteria for new runway capacity in the South East. Civil and geotechnical teams can now expect more detailed work on ground conditions, surface access corridors and mitigation of construction impacts around the existing two-runway platform.

Delivery of the Institution of Civil Engineers’ Carbon Management Plan is focusing on quantifying and cutting operational emissions from its estate, events and digital activities, with trustees targeting Scope 1, 2 and key Scope 3 sources. Current priorities include metered energy reduction in offices, low‑carbon procurement for facilities management, and tighter travel policies for conferences and committee meetings. For practising engineers, the approach signals stronger expectations on whole‑life carbon reporting, supplier data quality and alignment with PAS 2080 and emerging UK net zero requirements.

ICE is bucking the national trend of falling engineering registrations, remaining one of the strongest performing professional institutions in the UK in 2025. While other UK engineering bodies report year‑on‑year declines in new chartered and incorporated engineers, ICE is recording growth in professional registrations across its core civil, structural and infrastructure disciplines. For consultants, contractors and asset owners, this signals a deeper pool of professionally accredited civil engineers for roles tied to NEC4 delivery, safety‑critical design sign‑off and UK-SPEC/CEng competence requirements.