Sustainable construction strategies at COP30 in Belém are being redefined through social equity, environmental accountability and the technical realities of reducing embodied carbon. Indigenous groups are repositioning territorial justice at the centre of climate policy, underscoring that low carbon design must respect land rights to achieve true environmental sustainability in construction. Their intervention has reframed debates around the carbon footprint of construction, revealing that...

Accelerating efforts toward environmental sustainability in construction are reshaping global building practices. The industry’s shift toward a circular economy is moving beyond rhetoric as leading contractors embed reuse and recycling into their business models. McLaren’s integration of circular construction strategies signals that barriers to end-of-life reuse in construction are increasingly cultural rather than technical, marking an evolution in sustainable building practices....

Sustainable construction policy dominated COP30 in Belém as governments advanced a fossil fuel phase‑out roadmap and set sharper expectations for heavy‑emission industries such as cement and steel. The summit shifted global attention toward reducing embodied carbon and whole life carbon across the built environment. Delegates highlighted the need for consistent whole life carbon assessment to underpin sustainable building design, driving regulation that aligns with net zero whole life...

Policy shifts and corporate commitments are redefining sustainable construction as global focus intensifies toward COP30 in Belém. The UK Government’s Carbon Budget Delivery Plan marks a decisive step in aligning the built environment with net zero carbon targets. For the first time, it introduces enforceable mechanisms linking planning approvals and building standards to measurable reductions in embodied carbon. This move places whole life carbon assessment and life cycle cost analysis at...

The renewed focus on whole life carbon and embodied carbon dominated discussions as COP30 unfolded in Belém, setting a clear agenda for the future of sustainable construction. Insights from the UK Green Building Council’s Embodied Carbon Summit indicate that the sector is moving towards mandatory whole life carbon assessment, placing lifecycle assessment and life cycle cost analysis at the forefront of sustainable building design. With the carbon footprint of construction representing over a...

The sustainable construction sector is entering a decisive phase, marked by accelerated innovation, regulatory shifts, and a growing commitment to **decarbonising the built environment**. Across the industry, whole life carbon assessment has become a priority, integrating embodied carbon and life cycle cost analysis into project planning. Engineers are increasingly focused on reducing the **carbon footprint of construction**, replacing high-carbon Portland cement with **low embodied carbon...

The launch of the Global Circularity Protocol at COP30 has defined a pivotal shift in sustainable construction. Developed by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the One Planet Network, the framework introduces a measurable standard for circular economy in construction, giving companies a consistent method for assessing material reuse and lifecycle performance. This approach strengthens whole life carbon assessment by linking embodied carbon calculations with resource...

Global attention on COP30 has intensified pressure on the built environment to achieve measurable decarbonisation, signalling a pivotal shift in sustainable construction finance and policy. Institutional investors managing over $145 trillion are now embedding climate transition plans into risk frameworks, reinforcing that access to capital depends on credible whole life carbon assessment and verifiable reduction of embodied carbon in materials. This reflects a growing expectation that...

Global construction is moving toward measurable decarbonisation as governments, investors and designers converge on a shared demand for **sustainable construction** aligned with verifiable whole life carbon assessments. The Global Cooling Watch 2025 report reframes thermal resilience as integral to **sustainable building design**, linking passive cooling and district systems to the mitigation of embodied carbon and the **carbon footprint of construction**. Cooling infrastructure in cities and...

The sustainable construction sector faces an intensifying test of credibility as shifting climate policies and volatile funding threaten progress toward net zero carbon buildings across the UK. A potential reduction in energy efficiency support could impede the delivery of low carbon design strategies and undermine the government’s commitment to environmental sustainability in construction. With the built environment generating roughly 40% of national emissions, the withdrawal of financial...