Circle of Excellence Series Launches with Its First Installment
4 November | Online, Global – The International Road Federation (IRF) launched the first instalment of its Circle of Excellence webinar series with a session focused on Building Green and Resilient Roads for a Changing Climate.
The session explored how innovation, policy, and practical experience can drive the transition toward greener and more climate-resilient road infrastructure.
With the road sector accounting for nearly 74% of global transport emissions, discussions highlighted the urgency of accelerating decarbonisation through clean technologies, renewable energy integration, and data-driven infrastructure management. Speakers also noted that while commitments to net zero are growing, emissions continue to rise—reaching 6.2 gigatonnes of CO₂ equivalent in 2023.
The discussion was moderated by IRF Head of Outreach and Advocacy, Alice Yiu and featured speakers:
- Matthew Bond from the National Transport Research Organisation - NTRO to discuss the impact of bushfire on infrastructure and a framework to incorporate bushfire resilience in road design project
- Fabrice Breton from Olympia Odos S.A. to discuss the Solar Energy on the Motorway: On the way to Zero Emissions project
- Suresh Gurumurthy from INTERISE to discuss the Devihalli Hassan Tollway Pvt Ltd– “Commitment & Importance to Environmental Stewardship” project
- Subu Kamal from Transport Research Laboratory – TRL to discuss the Climate Informed Digital Road Asset Management System (iROADS) for Kerala PWD project
- Sun Zhaoyun from Chang’an University to discuss the Spatiotemporal Big Data-Drive Integrated Highway Asset Management Technology & Application project
Experts emphasised that true resilience goes beyond physical durability which demands smarter systems, predictive tools and sustainable operational models that enable rapid recovery and long-term reliability.
Following the main presentations, IRF members were invited to deliver short elevator pitches highlighting their own contributions to green and resilient road development, featuring:
- Ezel Sari from Hatko, who put a spotlight on the Recycled Rubber Noise Barriers
- Yuma Maeda from Fliegl BauKom, who discussed Innovative transport technologies to improve pavement lifetime
- Renaud de Montaignac from Oris, who shared updates on the a climate-ready road sector with AI and data
Framed around the upcoming COP30 in Belém, Brazil and the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026–2035), the webinar reinforced a global call to integrate resilience into transport planning and infrastructure design.
Participants reaffirmed the need for green, safe, and resilient roads that enable climate-smart mobility and protect communities in an era of increasing environmental change.
The full recording of the session is available exclusively to IRF members.
For questions and details, contact membership@irfofficial.org
