The Urban Land Institute has expanded its Net Zero Imperative programme, enlisting eight cities committed to decarbonising the built environment and advancing net zero carbon buildings. By supporting local authorities through technical expertise and policy guidance, the initiative targets a reduction in whole life carbon and embodied carbon generated during construction and operation. As environmental sustainability in construction gains global momentum, this collaboration reinforces the shift...

Efforts to decarbonise the built environment are converging on measurable outcomes, with new projects signalling a shift from ambition to accountability in sustainable construction. The Urban Land Institute’s Net Zero Imperative has expanded to eight global cities, each committed to reducing embodied carbon and improving lifecycle assessment practices across the building sector. These participating regions will share strategies for calculating whole life carbon and adopt eco-design for...

The UK construction sector is facing renewed scrutiny as progress in sustainable construction contrasts with structural shortcomings in national retrofit programmes. The National Audit Office’s review of the Energy Company Obligation scheme exposed extensive failures in external wall insulation installations, highlighting the need for a more rigorous whole life carbon assessment framework. Poorly executed retrofits inflate the embodied carbon of housing stock and undermine net zero carbon...

The drive toward sustainable construction across the UK and Europe is rapidly intensifying as engineers, developers and policymakers fuse innovation with environmental responsibility. Plans for a floating, wind-powered hydrogen plant off the Welsh coast mark a significant stride toward **net zero whole life carbon** objectives. By merging offshore wind generation with hydrogen production, this initiative signals a transition towards **carbon neutral construction** and a resilient industrial...

The Mersey Heat Network’s integration of heritage landmarks into a modern water-powered heating system marks a landmark in sustainable construction and environmental sustainability in construction. The retrofitting of Liverpool’s Grade II-listed Cunard Building, Georges Dock Building and the Museum of Liverpool shows how eco-design for buildings and low carbon design can reduce the carbon footprint of construction without compromising historic character. This project illustrates whole life...

The momentum across the sustainable construction sector continues to accelerate as firms integrate whole life carbon assessment and embodied carbon strategies into mainstream practice. Tailored Lifestyle Group, a UK-based design enterprise, is emerging as a leader in sustainable building design, embedding low carbon construction materials and eco-design for buildings at the centre of its projects. The company’s portfolio reflects a growing alignment between aesthetic ambition and measurable...

Recent initiatives suggest the construction industry is accelerating its shift towards sustainable building design through workforce reform, advanced technology, and sharper policy direction. The UK’s renewed focus on training aims to build environmental literacy across the sector, producing engineers and architects skilled in whole life carbon assessment and low carbon design. The initiative responds to a growing demand for professionals capable of evaluating embodied carbon in materials and...

AI-driven innovation is reshaping sustainable construction, as demonstrated by Greyparrot’s Analyser being named on TIME’s Best Inventions of 2025 list. The technology’s precision in identifying recyclable materials reinforces circular economy in construction principles and strengthens whole life carbon assessment practices by improving data capture on waste flows. This form of circular construction strategy supports resource efficiency in construction and encourages greater adoption of...

Efforts to decarbonise the built environment are accelerating, driven by a growing recognition that skills and knowledge are as vital as technology. Across the UK, the green workforce is being prioritised as a cornerstone of sustainable construction, with training in sustainable building design and whole life carbon assessment now central to professional development. Industry leaders warn that without adequate funding for education, progress in reducing embodied carbon and achieving low carbon...

Holcim’s NextGen Growth 2030 strategy signals a shift towards measurable sustainability in construction, embedding whole life carbon assessment and low embodied carbon materials at the core of operations. The initiative strengthens the firm’s role in decarbonising the built environment through sustainable building practices and leadership diversity. Its renewed focus on embodied carbon in materials and lifecycle assessment reflects a decisive movement towards sustainable building design...