Sustainable Pipeline Rehabilitation: Evaluating the Carbon Footprint/Inventory of CIPP Technology

Abstract

Taiwan faces an exceptionally high risk from overlapping natural disasters, with over 70% of its population and territory exposed to multiple hazards. This study addresses the urgent need for resilient, sustainable infrastructure by proposing a circular economy-based life extension strategy for urban water mains, applied to a 700 mm × 660 m pipeline rehabilitation on Heping West Road using trenchless Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP) technology. Grounded in international and local standards—including ISO 14067 for product carbon foot printing, BS 8001 circular economy principles, and the EU’s ESRS sustainability reporting— the research integrates life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify carbon emissions and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) benefits associated with rehabilitation versus replacement. A novel carbon inventory methodology was established for the construction phase, involving multi-sector collaboration guided by SDG 17, and emphasizing data quality, hotspot identification, and risk-informed sensitivity analyses. The CE² v.s. CE² framework (Civil Engineering + Circular Economy addressing Climate Emergency and Carbon Emissions)