The UK Government’s Critical Minerals Strategy positions domestic resource efficiency at the heart of sustainable construction, targeting 10% UK production of key inputs such as lithium by 2035 and doubling recycling rates to 20%. This supports the circular economy in construction, enhancing supply chain security for renewable building materials and reducing embodied carbon in materials through local sourcing. By integrating closed-loop processing and resource efficiency in construction...

The UK government’s Critical Minerals Strategy underlines the urgency of decarbonising the built environment through secure and low-carbon supply chains. By targeting increased domestic sourcing and recycling of vital materials such as lithium and rare earth elements, the plan acknowledges the dependence of sustainable construction on resilient resource streams. This shift is central to reducing the embodied carbon in materials such as concrete and steel and aligns with emerging frameworks...

The outcome of COP30 in Belém has left the sustainable construction sector facing policy uncertainty at a critical juncture for decarbonising the built environment. Despite broad advocacy, the conference failed to commit to a structured phase-out of fossil fuels, exposing a policy vacuum that hampers progress on whole life carbon reduction. With the carbon footprint of construction accounting for nearly 40% of global emissions, the absence of definitive regulation complicates investment in low...

The COP30 climate summit in Belém exposed a widening gap between climate ambition and delivery, leaving major implications for sustainable construction. The absence of a formal fossil fuel phase-out has deepened uncertainty for investors seeking a stable framework to advance low carbon design and deploy green construction technologies. Without clear policy commitments, financial flows into energy-efficient buildings and net zero carbon buildings remain constrained, slowing adoption of low...

The COP30 summit in Belém brought limited progress for sustainable construction, leaving the industry without the policy clarity required to cut the carbon footprint of construction and accelerate decarbonisation. The absence of a firm fossil fuel phase-out undermined ambitions for low carbon design, Whole Life Carbon reduction, and systematic Whole Life Carbon Assessment across the built environment. Despite diplomats referencing progress on adaptation finance, the sector continues to lack...

COP30 concluded without a binding pledge to phase out fossil fuels, revealing the persistent gap between political consensus and practical decarbonisation of the built environment. Despite frustration from campaigners, the summit advanced themes critical to sustainable construction, particularly in sustainable building design and environmental sustainability in construction. The newly proposed framework for global cooling sets parameters for whole life carbon assessment and encourages wider...

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...

Regulatory indecision has become the defining factor shaping sustainable construction worldwide. As COP30 in Belém exposes diplomatic fragmentation over fossil fuel transition frameworks, the urgency of decarbonising the built environment intensifies. The absence of a clear fossil fuel phase-out plan has placed renewed pressure on both governments and the construction sector to align action with low carbon design principles and measurable Whole Life Carbon reduction targets. Policymakers argue...

The strained close of COP30 in Belém exposed the deepening divide between climate ambition and tangible action within the built environment. The absence of any commitment to phase out fossil fuels and the lack of finance for developing economies revealed the fragility of current net zero carbon strategies. For the construction industry, this underlines the urgency of embedding whole life carbon assessment within policy and project delivery. The debate on equitable transition is now inseparable...

The sustainable construction industry is confronting a period of recalibration as regulatory uncertainty, financial caution, and geopolitical volatility restrain tangible progress on decarbonising the built environment. The UK government’s proposed rollback of Biodiversity Net Gain regulations has generated strong opposition from environmental professionals who warn that undermining nature-based design contradicts sustainable building practices and impedes green construction. The debate...