Amanda Powell-Smith, CEO of Forster Communications, shares her learnings on going beyond compliance with sustainability disclosure requirements and realising the true value of action – even during political pushback.
Sustainable construction is entering a harder phase in which decarbonising the built environment depends on systems thinking, not isolated product claims. The priority is shifting towards whole life carbon, embodied carbon and rigorous whole life carbon assessment across planning, procurement, finance, regulation and delivery. Net zero carbon buildings will require life cycle thinking in construction, lifecycle assessment, credible sustainable material specification and transparent environmental product declarations (EPDs), not low-carbon labels attached to unchanged construction models.
Climate adaptation is now a core test of sustainable building design. Rising flood risk, heat stress and infrastructure fragility mean sustainable design must address passive survivability, drainage, retrofit resilience, green infrastructure and building lifecycle performance. Life cycle cost will become increasingly important as clients weigh upfront investment against long-term climate risk, insurance exposure, repair costs and asset value. Environmental sustainability in construction is no longer limited to carbon footprint reduction; it now includes resilience, resource efficiency in construction and responsible land-use decisions.
The façade debate exposes a critical tension in low carbon design. Lightweight systems, green building materials and low embodied carbon materials can reduce the carbon footprint of construction, yet fire safety, workmanship, maintenance and compliance must remain central. Eco-design for buildings cannot sacrifice performance for slimmer assemblies or faster installation. BREEAM, BREEAM v7 and other assessment frameworks will face growing pressure to reward proven outcomes, not paper-based sustainability credentials.
Policy signals are becoming sharper. The EU’s €3.4bn support for clean technology projects, funded through carbon pricing, shows how industrial strategy can accelerate low carbon construction materials, renewable building materials and green construction. The UK’s position remains less coherent while fossil fuel approvals and delayed regulatory reform sit beside net zero carbon commitments. The next phase of eco-friendly construction will be defined by net zero whole life carbon, circular economy in construction, end-of-life reuse in construction and circular construction strategies. Green infrastructure, carbon neutral construction and low-impact construction will succeed only where sustainable building practices are backed by regulation, skills and finance aligned with climate reality.
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