With the construction environment responsible for around 40% of the global carbon emissions, it is crucial that sustainable practices are adopted to achieve net-zero ambitions.


The Project Controls Network (PCN) has worked with 49 globally prominent organisations to develop ICMS 3 - a world first for cost and carbon management in engineering and construction from concept to completion and beyond.ICMS 3 is pioneering sustainable practices that assist the engineering and construction industry to manage and mitigate climate-related risk. 



ICMS 3 will contribute positively to efforts to decarbonise the engineering and construction sector in the most cost-effective way. Through ICMS 3, professionals will for the first time be empowered to deliver a globally consistent method for carbon life cycle reporting across construction projects, from buildings and bridges to ports and offshore structures.


ICMS has collaborated to develop and raise the standard of construction carbon and cost management to the public advantage. The solution will support sustainable investment strategies by bringing much needed transparency and cross-border comparability of embodied and operational carbon across the life cycle of engineering and construction projects.



This update to ICMS and subsequent updated standards which our professionals follow when managing any construction project, will see the construction sector making a large and measurable impact when it comes to leading from the front and combatting climate change.


These new standards provide a professional toolkit to measure and consistently report on carbon and influence the most basic design engineering and construction decisions.


While other aspects such as cost and safety will continue to play a key factor, of equal importance ICMS will be ensuring a greener future for the global engineering and construction sector.

The consultation for the draft ICMS 3 Standard will shortly come to an end, and the final Standard will be issued towards the end of the year.


The link for the Draft consultation ICMS 3 document is:


ICMS 3 | International Cost Management Standard (icms-coalition.org)


To date there have been over 3,000 webpage views on the main ICMS website and more on the websites of the Coalition members


Alec Ray

ICMS Coalition and PCN Committee

3 September 2021