HAUC/Road to Net Zero

HAUC(UK)

The Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee (HAUC(UK)) is the representative body that works with the UK and devolved governments to help make improvements to the management of street works and road network.

Set up in 1986, HAUC(UK) brings highway authorities, utilities and government departments together with the aim of working safely and smartly. HAUC(UK)'s primary objective is to make sure processes, systems and legislation don’t hamper the public who still need to travel while essential works are going on. As a result of our work, we hope to reduce the impact of street works and road works throughout the UK.

HAUC(UK) is made up of representatives from across the United Kingdom, representing members of Local Authorities, the four main utility sectors and their contractors. The group work jointly and equitably across the sector to ensure collaboration and provide transparency in some of the industry’s most complex areas.

HAUC England, RAUC Scotland, RAUC Northern Ireland and Welsh HAUC, work both independently and together, sharing best practice and knowledge providing a comprehensive and strong contribution toward the UK street works and road works industry.

HAUC(UK) is committed to embracing regional differences within the wider UK context to create a collaborative network and community that is the admired across the world. All groups work under the overall banner of HAUC(UK) and aim to support the knowledge of all our members. Working groups focus on the key initiatives in the industry and are chaired, and contributed to, by our members from both the Utilities and Local Authorities. The working groups are overseen and governed by the most appropriate government body whether that is from one of the four devolved nations or from an overarching HAUC(UK).

Our people are our most important asset. Our committee members, working group chairs and representatives from government, along with key support colleague, have thousands years of combined experience between us.

The Road to Net Zero Project

The Road to Net Zero is a collaborative, industry-wide initiative aimed at accelerating decarbonisation within the UK's street and road works sector. Launched in March 2022 and funded by the TfL Lane Rental Scheme, the project represents a comprehensive, strategic approach to addressing climate change through targeted interventions and innovative solutions.

The primary objective of the Road to Net Zero project is to enable and support the HAUC (UK) community in transitioning towards sustainable infrastructure development, with the ultimate goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 or sooner. Recognising that climate change demands immediate and decisive action, the project focuses on bringing together hundreds of organisations to develop practical, collaborative solutions that will transform how street works and road works are conceived, planned, and executed.

The project is structured across three critical phases—Discovery, Design, and Delivery and aims to create a suite of practical tools and frameworks to support decarbonisation. These include a standardised ‘Carbon Calculator’, alternative business models, an optioneering tool – ‘The All Consequences Calculator’ - for comparing emissions outcomes, and a comprehensive carbon accounting and reporting mechanism specifically tailored to the street works and road works sectors.

By fostering genuine collaboration, sharing best practices, and developing practical decision-making tools, the Road to Net Zero project seeks to make sustainable infrastructure development an integral part of the sector's future, ensuring that net zero considerations are embedded into every stage of planning and execution.