To catalyse essential action towards reducing food waste and achieving SDG 12.3, it's imperative to grasp the extent of food waste. Measuring food waste allows countries to comprehend the magnitude of the issue, thereby revealing the size of the opportunity, while establishing a baseline for tracking progress. The Food Waste Index Report 2021 marked a pivotal moment in understanding global food waste across retail, food service, and household sectors. It unveiled a greater availability of food waste data than anticipated, particularly at the household level, and revealed that per capita household food waste generation was more consistent worldwide than previously thought. The Food Waste Index Report 2024 builds upon its predecessor in three key ways: Firstly, it incorporates vastly expanded data points from around the world, providing a significantly more robust global and national estimates, detailed in Chapter 2 of the main report. Secondly, it expands on the SDG 12.3 food waste measurement methodology introduced in the 2021 report, offering enhanced guidance on measurement across retail, food service, and household sectors. This additional guidance delves into various methodologies, their strengths and limitations, and strategies for prioritising sub-sectors for measurement, as explored in Chapter 3. Lastly, the report transitions from focusing solely on food waste measurement to exploring solutions for food waste reduction. The chapter examines effective approaches to reducing food waste globally, with a spotlight on public-private partnerships in this 2024 report.
The UK’s sustainable construction sector is entering a decisive phase defined by material innovation, data-driven policy and measurable climate accountability. Sizewell C’s latest sustainability report demonstrates how major infrastructure projects can integrate biodiversity value into project metrics through rigorous whole life carbon assessment and lifecycle assessment methodologies. This signals a shift toward environmental sustainability in construction grounded in evidence-based metrics, where ecological gain becomes a genuine performance indicator rather than an optional credential.
BAM UK & Ireland’s £88 million Passivhaus school in West Fife illustrates sustainable building design at scale. The project exemplifies net zero carbon buildings through low carbon design, reduced embodied carbon in materials and adherence to circular economy principles. Such energy-efficient buildings now establish the baseline for public procurement, prioritising both life cycle cost and operational efficiency.
National and regional policies support this pivot. The UK government’s move to relax onshore wind planning rules reinforces the integration of green infrastructure within the construction framework. The West Midlands’ £150 million nature recovery programme applies circular economy in construction logic to regional regeneration, treating environmental restoration as a key driver of sustainable urban development. Enforcement activity by the Environment Agency on illegal dumping demonstrates that carbon footprint reduction and environmental impact compliance are becoming integral to climate governance.
Supply chain reform is accelerating. A Defra-funded study underscores the need for resource efficiency in construction and carbon footprint of construction reduction through waste prevention and low embodied carbon materials. The momentum behind initiatives such as Plastic Free July aligns with the industry’s movement toward sustainable material specification, eco-design for buildings and end-of-life reuse in construction.
The sector’s convergence of policy, innovation and procurement demonstrates a maturing understanding of decarbonising the built environment. Success now depends on minimising embodied carbon, improving building lifecycle performance and achieving net zero whole life carbon outcomes that define tomorrow’s green construction economy.
Whole Life Carbon is a platform for the entire construction industry—both in the UK and internationally. We track the latest publications, debates, and events related to whole life guidance and sustainability. If you have any enquiries or opinions to share, please do
get in touch.
Let's chat!
WLC Assistant
Ask me about sustainability
Hi! I'm your Whole Life Carbon assistant. I can help you learn about sustainability, carbon assessment, and navigate our resources. How can I help you today?