Control of pollution from antibiotic manufacturing is a key part of safeguarding the longevity of antibiotics for all. Pollution contributes to antibiotic resistance and potentially undermines the effectiveness of medicines. High levels of antibiotics in water bodies downstream of manufacturing sites have been widely documented. Currently, antibiotic pollution from manufacturing is largely unregulated and quality assurance criteria typically do not address environmental emissions. This guidance has been called for by a myriad of international bodies, strategies and reports. Its purpose is to provide an independent scientific basis for inclusion of targets in binding instruments to prevent the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance.The target audiences are: regulatory bodies; procurers of antibiotics; entities responsible for generic substitution schemes and reimbursement decisions; third-party audit and inspection bodies; industrial actors and their collective organizations and initiatives; investors; and waste and wastewater management services. This guidance also includes best practices for risk management, including internal and external audit and public transparency. Crucially, this guidance includes progressive implementation, and stepwise improvement when needed recognizing the need to protect and strengthen the global supply, and to ensure appropriate, affordable and equitable access to quality-assured antibiotics. Read the press release New global guidance aims to curb antibiotic pollution from manufacturing Also available Frequently asked questions Background document: Evidence synthesis for deriving PNECs for resistance selection
The UK’s decision to align its chemicals regulation with the EU has given the construction sector a stable framework crucial for sustainable construction and sustainable building design. By clarifying the approval process for low carbon construction materials and renewable building materials, the move strengthens environmental sustainability in construction and supports the shift towards low carbon design and Whole Life Carbon Assessment.
Such regulation underpins the creation of net zero carbon buildings and accelerates the sector’s transition to net zero Whole Life Carbon through stronger control of embodied carbon in materials.
Government backing of decarbonisation through the £470 million support package for ceramics and chemical factories signals a clear link between industrial policy and the wider Circular Economy in construction. This funding encourages manufacturers to deliver green building materials and eco-friendly construction products with lower embodied carbon, reducing the overall carbon footprint of construction.
These developments mark a decisive move toward resource efficiency in construction, end-of-life reuse in construction, and life cycle thinking in construction. Cheap gas no longer dictates design decisions; carbon metrics now govern value, feasibility, and compliance. Green construction is evolving into carbon neutral construction, where lifecycle assessment and whole life carbon strategies define competitive advantage. The direction of travel is clear—the UK’s sustainable construction landscape now integrates sustainable material specification, circular construction strategies, and eco-design for buildings as central to delivery. Sustainability is not an adjunct but the organising principle shaping the environmental impact of construction and the decarbonising of the built environment.
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