The UK construction sector is entering a decisive phase in the shift to sustainable construction, with new projects placing carbon capture and storage at the heart of industry transformation. Encyclis has secured backing to deliver the country’s first full-scale CCS system at an energy-from-waste facility in Cheshire, while Heidelberg Materials has approval to deploy CCS at its Padeswood cement works in Wales. Cement is one of the hardest industries to decarbonise, and embedding carbon capture at source is being framed as a step toward net zero whole life carbon and a defining moment in reducing the carbon footprint of construction.

Momentum around CCS signals a deeper commitment to environmental sustainability in construction and wider decarbonisation strategies. Former coal and steel heartlands such as the North West and Teesside are repositioning themselves as hubs for carbon storage infrastructure, offering an industrial rebirth centred on low carbon design. Industry experts highlight that nominations for underground CO₂ storage are surpassing expectations, underlining the urgency and scale of demand to integrate whole life carbon assessment into project pipelines and to align with circular construction strategies.

These developments intersect directly with embodied carbon in materials, particularly in energy-intensive processes like cement-making and waste-to-energy. The new plants promise to reshape building lifecycle performance by intercepting emissions before release, reducing reliance on conventional offsetting measures, and reflecting a commitment to genuine carbon footprint reduction. The implication for eco-design for buildings is significant, as CCS provides an opportunity to lower embodied carbon while advancing sustainable building practices that tackle emissions across every stage of a project’s life cycle.

The progress extends beyond carbon capture. Cornish Lithium’s £35 million funding injection fuels the domestic supply chain for battery-grade lithium, essential for electrifying construction equipment and enabling low-impact construction sites. Integrating renewable building materials, low embodied carbon materials and green building products into the wider supply network strengthens the circular economy in construction. Ensuring sustainable material specification and transparent environmental product declarations (EPDs) are embedded in procurement processes will be key to scaling eco-friendly construction.

Policy signals further reinforce this transition. New energy recovery facilities are navigating permitting processes with the aim of embedding life cycle thinking in construction and accelerating pathways to net zero carbon buildings. Whether through BREEAM v7 certification, lifecycle assessment methodologies, or frameworks for whole life carbon, regulation is starting to demand that sustainability stops being a voluntary add-on and becomes a fundamental requirement in sustainable urban development. While administrative delays remain, the trajectory points clearly towards decarbonising the built environment.

Altogether the UK sector appears to be shifting from incremental pilot initiatives to large-scale delivery. With CCS projects, investment in low carbon building technologies, and a growing alignment with circular economy principles, sustainable building design is evolving into the mainstream. If consistent life cycle cost analysis and resource efficiency in construction are applied, the outcome could be a genuine move toward carbon neutral construction and a long-term reframing of the environmental impact of construction across the country.