Pricing forest carbon and putting in place the means and channels to pay for it are necessary conditions to achieve the 2030 mitigation goals. Yet, after more than 15 years of discussion, payments for emissions reductions from forests continue to be unreasonably low, both in terms of price and volume. At the same time, mechanisms already proven in other sectors to increase the catalytic effect of public funds and the participation of the private sector are mostly absent from the toolbox for fighting deforestation and forest degradation. This must change fast. Below is a summary of the main findings from this report: We are in an existential crisis, but forests can deliver for people and planet. 1. HIGH-QUALITY AND HIGH INTEGRITY EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS (ERS) FROM REDD+ ARE COSTEFFECTIVE, BUT THEY ARE NOT CHEAP. 2. SECURING FAIR COMPENSATION FOR FOREST CARBON IS LINKED TO INCREASING THE VOLUME OF TRANSACTIONS OF ERS FROM REDD+ ON COMPLIANCE MARKETS. 3. THE ADOPTION OF (ALREADY EXISTING) PRICING INSTRUMENTS CAN SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THE LEVERAGE EFFECT OF PUBLIC FUNDS TO MOBILIZE PRIVATE FINANCE AND GROW THE SUPPLY OF ERS FROM REDD+.
UK approval for National Grid’s 2GW Sea Link reinforces the infrastructure case for sustainable construction. The 138km high-voltage connection between Suffolk and Kent, designed to supply power equivalent to two million homes, underlines that net zero carbon buildings depend on resilient, decarbonised electricity networks. Electrified heat, smart energy management, energy-efficient buildings and low carbon construction sites all require grid capacity to match policy ambition and private-sector delivery.
Circular economy policy is becoming a stronger commercial driver for construction. WRAP’s estimate that ambitious circular economy measures could generate more than £93bn in gross value added and support 550,000 jobs puts resource efficiency in construction firmly on the investment agenda.
The shift strengthens the business case for whole life carbon assessment, lifecycle assessment, life cycle cost modelling and building lifecycle performance as core decision-making tools rather than voluntary sustainability exercises.
For developers, contractors and product manufacturers, embodied carbon is moving from reporting concern to procurement priority. Lower waste design, material passports, end-of-life reuse in construction, sustainable material specification, environmental product declarations (EPDs), low embodied carbon materials and low carbon construction materials are becoming central to sustainable building practices. Circular construction strategies now sit at the intersection of industrial strategy, cost control and carbon footprint reduction.
Global biodiversity negotiations have produced agreement while leaving finance unresolved, creating continued uncertainty for planning, land use and capital access. Nature-positive development, habitat restoration and green infrastructure are increasingly linked to environmental sustainability in construction, sustainable urban development and low-impact construction. The competitive advantage will sit with organisations that can prove whole life carbon, embodied carbon in materials and the wider environmental impact of construction across assets, supply chains and sites.
The direction is clear: sustainable building design, eco-design for buildings, low carbon design and sustainable architecture must align with credible evidence. BREEAM, BREEAM V7, environmental product declarations and net zero whole life carbon targets will shape how the sector demonstrates progress. Green construction, eco-friendly construction, renewable building materials and green building products will matter most when supported by measurable lifecycle performance and verified carbon data.
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