Live Labs 2

ADEPT Live Labs 2: smarter spending for the sector.

The UK wide Department for Transport funded programme to cut carbon emissions and save money on local roads. The £30 million programme has tested carbon saving ideas right across the UK.  

Seven local authorities led projects with four interconnected themes and worked with commercial and academic partners.   

The programme ran until March 2026 testing ways to cut carbon emissions caused by infrastructure and assets associated with local roads. 

A further £300,000 from DfT will get these ideas out across UK industry so they are scaled and become normal for UK roads. This will involve collaboration with industry to get the right approaches in the right places. 

Can you afford to wait? Read and download resources with information for Year 4 of Live Labs 2 here. 

The Little Book of Live Labs 2

The Little Book of Live Labs 2 brings together, for the first time, the top lessons, evidence, and tools from the Department for Transport funded £30 million Live Labs 2 programme. It means local highway authorities across the UK can adopt proven innovations rather than start from scratch.

The publication’s key message is that cutting carbon doesn’t have to cost more: carbon led approaches can help local highway authorities save money, work more efficiently and make local roads more resilient.

Read and download the Little Book here.

Regional Workshops 

Cut costs. Save time. Shape better places.
Live Labs 2 spent three years testing how local roads can save money, save time and support better places. Now we’re sharing what we learned, at free workshops near you.

Live Labs 2 has done much of the testing, evidence gathering and learning – now it’s time to share it with the whole highways sector. 

Our free, in-person regional workshops bring that learning directly to you, exploring practical tools, tested and proven approaches and new ways of working that could help cut carbon, reduce costs and improve efficiency. 

Whether you work for a local authority, contractor, consultant, supplier or elsewhere in highways, come along to find out what’s been learned, ask questions and take ideas back to your organisation. 

You can find locations and dates for each workshop here.

Register your interest here. 

About Live Labs 2 Year 4 2026/27

A further £300,000 from DfT for Year 4 will get these innovations and associated thinking out across the highways sector so they are scaled and become normal for UK roads. This will involve collaboration with industry to get the right approaches in the right places.

The programme will monitor their uptake over the next five years to see if the innovations remain effective. The new approaches have been tested on local roads. The programme’s work is monitored; learning is shared and communicated to make sure the results are credible and can be used across the sector. Seven projects, four interconnected themes

Live Labs 2 includes seven projects, grouped by four interconnected themes, led by local authorities working alongside academic partners. You can find out more about each project on the themes and projects page and watch the summary video. 

Commissioning Board

Live Labs 2 is overseen by an independent Commissioning Board: ADEPT (chair), Kent County Council, Scottish Collaboration of Transportation Specialists (SCOTS), County Surveyors Society (CSS) Wales, National Highways, Department for Infrastructure Northern Ireland, DfT Roads, DfT SciTech, Transport for London, AtkinsRéalis, WSP, Ringway, Kier Highways, Core Highways, Open Data Institute, Construction LCA, CIHT, LGTAG, and LCRIG. 

Latest news

• The Little Book of Live Labs 2 is available to read and download here.
• Year 4 materials and resources available here.
• Sign the pledge! Live Labs 2 launched an industry decarbonisation pledge in April 2025 - find out more
• BIT report: read our groundbreaking report that reveals how behavioural change can significantly accelerate decarbonisation across the UK’s local roads - find out more
• Live Labs 2 Expo 2025 - materials and resources available here
• The latest blog can be found under Live Labs 2 blog

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