Laura Cunliffe Hall
Policy and Communications Expert
Lead Policy Manager at The Institution of Civil Engineers. Areas of interest include sustainability and fighting the climate crisis, policy development, communications and stakeholder engagement.
ice.org.uk
7 infrastructure takeaways from the 2024 Conservative Party manifesto
The Conservative Party has published its general election manifesto. What would the Conservatives remaining in government mean for infrastructure?
Conservative leader Rishi Sunak launched the party’s 2024 general election manifesto on 11 June 2024.
The 76-page document outlines the Conservative’s plans to “deliver a more secure future” for the UK.
Lead Policy Manager Laura Cunliffe-Hall outlines seven key takeaways and what it would mean for infrastructure if the Conservatives remain in government.
icevirtuallibrary.com
Briefing: Closing the climate resilience infrastructure gap
Laura Cunliffe-Hall has been leading the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Policy and External Affairs team’s work on climate resilience and adaptation. She discusses the role of resilience and adaptation in developing a stronger and more innovative infrastructure system in academic journal Civil Engineering.
ice.org.uk
Is the UK delivering the infrastructure people need?
I analyse the findings of the latest Infrastructure Progress Review from the National Infrastructure Commission.
ice.org.uk
Presidential Roundtable summary: the Construction Playbook, three years on
The UK government’s Construction Playbook aims to enable faster, better, and greener infrastructure delivery through improved processes and stronger relationships.
Three years on from the publication of the first playbook, the ICE convened an online roundtable with industry experts and senior civil service officials, chaired by ICE President Anusha Shah.
Lead Policy Manager Laura Cunliffe-Hall summarises the key points raised.
ice.org.uk
IPW: a look at the climate resilience gap, and funding for renewable energy in Africa
In this week’s Infrastructure Policy Watch, a new report examines infrastructure resilience, and the World Bank funds electricity across Africa.
ice.org.uk
Whatever happened to levelling up?
The UK government published its final levelling up missions, but whether delivery is achievable is still uncertain.
Two years on from the Levelling Up White Paper, this former flagship government policy has been sidelined.
Energy security, foreign policy, and economic challenges have taken centre stage instead.
Still, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) recently published its final 12 levelling up missions.
What do they mean for the future of infrastructure?
ice.org.uk
ICE submission to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) inquiry on extreme weather resilience
Of the 89 risks on the government’s National Risk Register, eight are extreme weather events, defined as those that are significantly different from the average or usual weather pattern.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) launched an inquiry examining the risks and how the UK government can develop resilience. I led the ICE’s submission to the committee that highlighted the need for a systems-thinking approach to resilience and adaptation.
ice.org.uk
IPW: New Zealand and the UK look into making the most of infrastructure investment
In this Infrastructure Policy Watch, New Zealand and the UK report on how to maximise the value of infrastructure.
ice.org.uk
The UK public wants to contribute to net zero – but they need support
I wrote a report for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Infrastructure (APPGI) and the ICE focused on net-zero aligned behaviour change.
It also includes public polling and focus group research carried out on behalf of the ICE by Thinks Insight & Strategy (Thinks).
This research focused on potential changes in public behaviour over the next 12 months across home heating and transport.
The research found that 57% of the UK population is open to change and makes 5 key recommendations.
ice.org.uk
APPGI and ICE policy paper: what are the public behavioural changes required to meet net zero?
The UK is committed to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. To meet 2050 targets, significant public behaviour change will be needed.
Yet, to change their behaviour, the public needs the support of policymakers and businesses – as well as an infrastructure system that will empower them to make the right choices.
My paper draws on evidence, focus groups and polling from expert stakeholders across infrastructure and civil society, including engineering companies, energy and environmental experts, and ICE members.
iema.net
The cost of net zero
I was published as a spokesperson on behalf of the ICE in an Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) piece on financing and funding net zero, alongside academics from the University of Oxford and head of capital markets and investment A4S, a charity founded in 2004 by King Charles, brings together the global finance community to help shift policy and practice in a direction that supports sustainable environmental outcomes.
ice.org.uk
IPW: digital to fast-track climate solutions, and South Africa’s infrastructure delays
In this week’s Infrastructure Policy Watch, the World Bank advocates for digital, while project delays in South Africa affect taxpayers.
ice.org.uk
How can the public play its part in the race to net zero?
For our ICE policy programme on net zero and public behaviour, we discuss how the government can empower people to decarbonise.
ice.org.uk
Presidential Roundtable summary: how do we deliver an electricity grid fit for the net zero transition?
Countries worldwide are facing the same challenge: how do they quickly decarbonise their power networks while also reliably meeting the energy demands of their populations?
The ICE convened a virtual roundtable in conversation with senior infrastructure experts globally, chaired by ICE President Anusha Shah.
This roundtable examined the challenges countries are facing in terms of delivering grid upgrades in the timescales needed, exploring what decisions need to be made quickly and what the power sector needs from governments to be able to deliver.
ice.org.uk
Why the UK government’s response to the CCC’s adaptation progress report falls short
The UK government’s response to the Climate Change Committee’s report doesn’t provide the policy needed to ensure climate resilient infrastructure.
Earlier this year, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) published a on the UK’s efforts to adapt to climate change in the last two years.
The report identified that the UK’s current approach to resilience and adaptation is unfit for purpose.
This reflects a wider global issue identified by the UN environment Programme that progress on climate adaptation has been too slow.