Live Labs 2

ADEPT Live Labs 2: Decarbonising Local Roads in the UK 

Live Labs 2 is a three-year, £30 million, UK-wide programme funded by the Department for Transport that will run until March 2026, with a five-year subsequent, extended monitoring and evaluation period. Seven projects, grouped by four interconnected themes, are being led by local authorities working alongside commercial and academic partners.

Following the success of the ADEPT SMART Places Live Labs programme (Live Labs 1) and its focus on innovation across local roads, Live Labs 2 concentrates on how to decarbonise local highways infrastructure and assets.

To date, decarbonisation of transport in the UK has focused mostly on electric vehicles, active travel and changing public behaviour rather than the planning and design of transport infrastructure or local roads assets. However, the UK’s local roads infrastructure and maintenance make a significant and ongoing contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, climate change impacts and future resilience.

ADEPT has developed Live Labs 2 to support the transition to net zero carbon local roads. Over the next three years we will be collaborating with ambitious, local highways authority-led partnerships from across the UK to develop and implement zero carbon and climate change focused local roads plans.

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 introductory video.

Commissioning Board

Live Labs 2 is overseen by an independent Commissioning Board: ADEPT (chair), AtkinsRealis, Colas, Construction LCA, Core Highways, County Surveyors’ Society (CSS) Wales, Department for Infrastructure Northern Ireland, DfT Roads, DfT SciTech, EY, Innovate UK, Kent County Council, Kier Highways, Kirklees Council, National Highways, Open Data Institute, Ringway, Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland (SCOTS), Transport for London and WSP.

Latest news

• Sign the pledge! Live Labs 2 launched an industry decarbonisation pledge in April 2025 - find out more
• Want to know who won the Dragons' Den at the recent Expo - find out here
• See our groundbreaking new 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 now available here
• The latest blog can be found under Live Labs 2 blogs

Social media

    Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, or view our YouTube channel.