How might we rethink Long-Life Infrastructure for a Regenerative Future?
Challenge
NWG’s physical infrastructure - over 250,000 above-ground assets, plus extensive networks below ground - is largely made of traditional carbon intensive grey materials like concrete. These assets were built to last, and they’ll be part of our landscape for decades to come. Our environmental ambitions are evolving and as we construct new assets they we will seek to employ lower carbon intensive and nature based solutions, however, this will take time.
As we transition to a net zero, lower-carbon, more nature-positive future, we want to accelerate our transition from ‘grey to green’ as we maintain our existing asset base and rather than replacing like for like we need to think creatively:
As we maintain our existing asset base how can we retrofit, adapt, or augment our existing grey assets to move them to be lower carbon intensive making them greener - functionally, visually, and environmentally?
What will we do?
This sprint will bring together cross-disciplinary teams from engineering, operations, maintenance, sustainability, innovation, and the supply chain to explore how to turn existing grey infrastructure into a platform for environmental regeneration as we maintain the assets.
We’ll explore:
- Blue-sky, future-facing ideas that integrate nature-based solutions, sustainable materials, or visual greening into existing assets
- AMP8-ready options for retrofitting or enhancing grey assets quickly and affordably
- Practical implementation pathways: how to make ideas real—from trials to full-scale delivery
- R&D opportunities: ideas that aren’t yet feasible, but could be with the right partnerships or investment
- A high-level, year-by-year roadmap to the end of AMP8 for rollout and development
How we will do it?
Participants will collaborate through a mix of creative workshops, structured design sessions, and real-world case discussions to:
- Identify priority asset types and sites for green transformation
- Co-create ideas across materials, visual interventions, nature-based enhancements, and co-location with green infrastructure
- Prioritise quick wins and surface longer-term opportunities for innovation and collaboration
- Develop a draft implementation roadmap with phasing, pilots, and scale-up potential
- Build a shared communications and engagement approach to help bring the vision to life across the business and with partners
Target Outcomes
By the end of the sprint, we aim to deliver:
- A rich set of greening ideas and interventions for long-life grey assets
- A shortlist of AMP8-ready concepts and quick wins
- A menu of blue-sky ideas with next steps for development or R&D
- A high-level implementation roadmap through to the end of AMP8
- Communications assets and visuals to support buy-in, storytelling, and action
Who will benefit from this sprint?
- Infrastructure and capital teams exploring how to align investment with environmental goals
- Carbon, nature, and sustainability leads seeking solutions that reduce footprint and enhance biodiversity
- Innovation and transformation teams driving regenerative design
- Customers and communities, who will see tangible improvements in place, amenity, and climate resilience
- The wider utilities sector, through learnings that can scale across the industry
