In the second full year of the program, UrbanShift, the Global Environment Facility-funded partnership led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), scaled up its two-pillar approach to advancing integrated urban planning approaches through on-the-ground engagement with cities and capacity-strengthening across the sector, built around eight essential focus areas that collectively reflect best practices for creating sustainable, equitable and livable cities. Spanning around 30 events that reached over 2,300 people and the launch of essential resources like the Online City Academy, the Geospatial Indicators Dashboard and the Guide to Public-Private Collaboration in the Global South, 2022-2023 was a momentous year for Urban Shift. This second Annual Report dives into progress made on the ground in the 23 cities within the UrbanShift network and highlights standout moments from UrbanShift's Global Platform activities.
The UK Government’s decision to triple domestic heat pump manufacturing funding to £90 million marks a significant step toward advancing net zero carbon buildings and sustainable construction. The investment, part of the Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition, supports a shift from fossil-fuel heating systems toward low carbon design alternatives. This strategy strengthens the UK’s capacity to measure and manage embodied carbon and whole life carbon across the built environment, setting a pathway for a new generation of energy-efficient buildings aligned with a circular economy in construction.
The funding increase is expected to boost supply chains for low embodied carbon materials, encouraging manufacturers to undertake whole life carbon assessment and lifecycle assessment processes when scaling production. By integrating life cycle cost considerations into both product development and procurement, construction firms can enhance environmental sustainability in construction and drive improvements in sustainable building practices that are measurable, verifiable, and fully compliant with BREEAM and BREEAM v7 certification frameworks.
Heat pumps are being positioned as a cornerstone of low carbon building performance, essential to reducing the carbon footprint of construction projects while improving renewable energy use in the housing sector. This transition links closely to sustainable building design and eco-design for buildings, where life cycle thinking in construction ensures long-term energy efficiency, resource efficiency in construction, and end-of-life reuse in construction. It forms part of a broader shift toward carbon neutral construction that aligns industry performance with national climate targets under the Clean Heat Mechanism.
The Government’s emphasis on green infrastructure and off-grid electric vehicle charging further supports sustainable urban development and decarbonising the built environment. Investment in renewable building materials and green building products underpins a new generation of low carbon construction materials built for the circular economy. These measures encourage stakeholders to consider embodied carbon in materials and carbon footprint reduction strategies, setting new benchmarks for sustainable design and environmental product declarations (EPDs).
Grassroots initiatives like the Dorset COP showcase how sustainable building practices can emerge from local engagement. By connecting policy ambition with practical delivery, such forums demonstrate the role of community-led sustainable architecture and eco-friendly construction in achieving net zero whole life carbon goals. This balanced approach to sustainable construction links technology, funding, and local action, forming the structural backbone of a low-impact construction future. Through collaboration and evidence-based standards, the UK’s construction sector continues to lay the foundations for a built environment defined by resilience, circular construction strategies, and enduring environmental stewardship.
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