Global policy discussions at COP30 have reignited momentum for decarbonising the built environment through targeted strategies addressing both operational and embodied carbon. The summit’s commitment to sustainable cooling reflects a growing emphasis on low carbon design and sustainable building design as essential components of environmental sustainability in construction. Integrating passive cooling and energy-efficient buildings into urban developments aligns with whole life carbon thinking and lifecycle assessment principles, reinforcing the need for a comprehensive whole life carbon assessment across infrastructure projects.

Attention to the carbon footprint of construction has expanded to include embodied carbon in materials, renewable building materials, and low embodied carbon materials that can lower lifecycle costs and improve building lifecycle performance. The UK’s renewed push for a large-scale retrofit programme under the Warm Homes Plan signals a major opportunity for low carbon building upgrades, circular economy in construction initiatives, and resource efficiency in construction.

Deep renovation of the housing stock can accelerate progress toward net zero carbon buildings and net zero whole life carbon outcomes through sustainable building practices, eco-design for buildings, and the use of green building materials verified through environmental product declarations (EPDs). Emerging international frameworks support equitable decarbonisation, highlighting the importance of circular construction strategies and end-of-life reuse in construction to extend material lifespans and minimise the environmental impact of construction.

The shift promotes sustainable material specification, the adoption of BREEAM and BREEAM v7 standards, and life cycle thinking in construction as benchmarks for green construction and sustainable architecture. The scientific reassessment of soil carbon sequestration underscores the role of natural systems in supporting carbon neutral construction and sustainable urban development. Together, these advances form the foundation of a circular economy approach capable of decarbonising the built environment and achieving measurable carbon footprint reduction across all stages of construction.