National Infrastructure Assessment   |   Study

Second National Infrastructure Assessment: Baseline Report

In brief

This Baseline Report sets out the current state of the UK’s economic infrastructure and identifies key challenges for the coming decades. The Commission will make recommendations to address these challenges in the second National Infrastructure Assessment, to be published in the second half of 2023. The Call for Evidence has now closed.

Since the first Assessment, there has been progress on some issues:

These include full fibre rollout, electricity decarbonisation, drought resilience, infrastructure financing – through the creation of the UK Infrastructure Bank – and design.

However, in other areas, there is more to be done:

  • greenhouse gas emissions from economic infrastructure must reduce further, fast
  • asset maintenance issues undermine performance in some sectors
  • more than three million properties in England are at risk from surface water flooding
  • serious pollution incidents from water and sewerage are unacceptably high
  • urban transport connectivity varied and is poor in many places.

Future trends and government commitments will bring new challenges:

  • climate change will make it harder to make and keep infrastructure resilience
  • nature is declining at unprecedented rates
  • the Covid-19 pandemic may lead to long term changes in where people live and work
  • new and emerging technologies will offer opportunities across sectors.

Delivering on these challenges will require bold action, stable plans and long term funding.

The Commission has identified nine key challenges for the second Assessment:

  • all sectors will need to take the opportunities of new digital technologies
  • the electricity system must decarbonise fast to meet the sixth Carbon Budget
  • decarbonising heat will require major changes to the way people heat their homes
  • new networks will be needed for hydrogen and carbon capture and storage
  • good asset management will be crucial as the effects of climate change increase
  • action is needed to improve surface water management as flood risk increases
  • the waste sector must support the move to a circular economy
  • improved urban mobility and reduced congestion can boost urban productivity
  • a multimodal interurban transport strategy can support regional growth.

The Commission has welcomed views on these key challenges in response to the Call for Evidence (now closed). The Commission will also hold events during the Call for Evidence period and in the run up to the second Assessment.

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Status:  Completed

National Infrastructure Assessment

An assessment of the United Kingdom's infrastructure needs to 2055 and beyond.

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Coming up in 2024
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Coming up in 2024

This page shows a calendar reflecting the latest expected dates for Commission reports, publications and events. You can also sign up to receive our quarterly newsletter by entering your email address in the box at the foot of each website page.

1 Feb 2024 By
Review – responses to the Baseline Report Call for Evidence
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Review – responses to the Baseline Report Call for Evidence

A report by Arup for the Commission, analysing the themes raised by stakeholders in response to the 17 questions asked in the Baseline Report for the second National Infrastructure Assessment.

9 Jun 2022
Five lessons from our overview of infrastructure challenges
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Five lessons from our overview of infrastructure challenges

Last month the Commission published its Baseline Report for the second National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA2), identifying key challenges for the coming decades that we will explore in more detail in that Assessment. I worked as lead author on the report, pulling together work from across the Commission’s team into a single narrative. Here are some...

7 Dec 2021 By
Baseline Report Annex A: Digital
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Baseline Report Annex A: Digital

Analysis of the UK's digital infrastructure which informs the Second National Infrastructure Assessment: Baseline Report.

15 Nov 2021
Baseline Report Annex B: Energy
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Baseline Report Annex B: Energy

Analysis of the UK's energy generation infrastructure which informs the Baseline Report.

15 Nov 2021
Baseline Report Annex C: Flood resilience
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Baseline Report Annex C: Flood resilience

Analysis of the country's approach to flood risk management, which informs the Baseline Report.

15 Nov 2021
Baseline Report Annex D: Water and wastewater
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Baseline Report Annex D: Water and wastewater

Analysis of the country's water and wastewater infrastructure which informs the Baseline Report for the second National Infrastructure Assessment.

15 Nov 2021
Baseline Report Annex E: Waste
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Baseline Report Annex E: Waste

Analysis of the UK's waste infrastructure which informs the Baseline Report for the second National Infrastructure Assessment.

15 Nov 2021
Baseline Report Annex F: Transport
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Baseline Report Annex F: Transport

Analysis of the country's transport infrastructure which informs the Baseline Report for the second National Infrastructure Assessment.

15 Nov 2021
Baseline Report: Social research
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Baseline Report: Social research

Social research on the public's priorities for future infrastructure and attitudes towards solutions to address urban congestion, informing the Baseline Report.

15 Nov 2021

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