Prof Arnold Dix has just been elected as new ITA President. Shortly beforehand, in T&T’s preview of WTC 2022, he described his proposed plans to accelerate a practical mission on sustainability in tunnelling – to include moves on procurement, contract conditions and metrics. 

Since ancient times the use and development of underground space has been associated with technologically advanced civilisations investing in intergenerational underground development. Today, such long-term investments demand complex sustainability and social development goal assessments.

Earlier in 2022, the current ITA Executive Committee resolved to include Ssustainability and the United Nations’ Sustainability Goals in its strategic plan, and to include sustainability considerations in everything ITA does or publishes. President Jenny Yan (2019-2022) committed ITA to the sustainability agenda and, shortly, after the September elections, the new Executive Committee will be considering new initiatives.