A major development in sustainable construction is emerging from the cement sector, one of the largest sources of global emissions. Trials of carbon capture and storage technology are showing potential to cut embodied carbon from the cement-making process, addressing a material that accounts for around 8% of global CO₂ output. Successful scaling would be a major step toward net zero Whole Life Carbon objectives in the built environment and a defining advance in decarbonising the carbon footprint of construction.

In London, the Fifty Fenchurch Street project is demonstrating sustainable building design on a complex urban scale. By preserving a 700-year-old church tower and integrating it into a high-density commercial development, the scheme combines heritage protection with innovative engineering to reduce demolition waste. This approach reflects principles of Circular Economy in construction and offers a model for balancing heritage and sustainable urban development without losing performance in building lifecycle assessment.

International policymaking remains inconsistent. China’s new pledge to reduce emissions by 2035 by as much as 10% from its peak signals ambition but falls short of requirements for net zero carbon buildings and broader lifecycle assessment of sectors such as heavy construction. Without stronger commitments to low carbon design and the adoption of resource efficiency in construction, global progress risks slipping further out of alignment with Paris Agreement goals.

At the UN climate summit, the Secretary-General reinforced the economic case for adopting sustainable building practices and eco-design for buildings, stressing that clean technologies are vital to both growth and resilience. His message aligns directly with the need for life cycle thinking in construction, integrating Whole Life Carbon Assessment and Life Cycle Costing analysis to ensure that development delivers both environmental and financial efficiency across generations.

Growing concern over ocean acidification amplifies the urgency of addressing embodied carbon in materials, particularly concrete and steel. These staples of global building are central to end-of-life reuse in construction and circular construction strategies, and their decarbonisation will determine prospects for achieving sustainable architecture and broader environmental sustainability in construction. The planetary impacts now being observed highlight why low embodied carbon materials and green building products must become standard in eco-friendly construction.

In the UK, smaller-scale initiatives such as flood-defence projects in schools and local infrastructure upgrades signal a gradual shift in sustainable building practices. While modest, these examples show community-level adoption of green infrastructure and low carbon construction materials that support both resilience and improved building lifecycle performance. This wave of practical, localised action complements larger corporate and policy moves and reflects a growing commitment to carbon neutral construction across the sector.