Wrightbus has committed £25 million to expand its production of zero-emission buses, aiming to support growing domestic demand for low-emission transport and bolster the UK’s decarbonisation targets. The investment aligns with broader sustainable construction goals and reinforces green job creation. By scaling up local manufacturing, Wrightbus is strengthening supply chains and advancing sustainable building practices across the transport sector. The International Maritime Organization has...

The UK Government has launched a new set of research and innovation challenges aimed at increasing national resilience to climate risks. Backed by Defra and the Government Office for Science, the initiative highlights the role of applied science and inter-sector collaboration. By focusing on adaptive solutions, it suggests future support for sustainable construction projects and climate-resilient urban planning. Opportunities may arise for implementing whole life carbon assessment and life...

The UK Government has launched a new wave of climate resilience research challenges led by Defra and the Government Office for Science. The programme aims to develop innovative responses to climate risks, enhancing national resilience. The programme aims to develop innovative responses to climate risks, enhancing national resilience. It will support sustainable construction through applied research into flood mitigation, sustainable design, and climate-adaptive infrastructure, strengthening...

The University of York has launched a geothermal energy project using ground-source heat pumps, aiming to reduce fossil fuel use and support the city’s net zero carbon targets. Focused initially on the university campus, the initiative will serve as a scalable model demonstrating how academic institutions can promote local transitions to renewable energy. The project reflects growing alignment between education, urban planning, and sustainable building practices, and contributes to wider...

First Bus has announced a £70 million investment to deploy 160 zero-emission electric buses across the West of England. This move supports net zero carbon targets while addressing the environmental impact of construction in urban infrastructure. The investment signals a shift towards low carbon building principles within public transport systems, contributing to more energy-efficient buildings and healthier urban environments. In the legislative sphere, the UK government’s Planning and...

The UK Government faces growing pressure to close key policy gaps in heavy industry decarbonisation, as nearly half of industrial emissions risk being excluded from net zero carbon planning. The Association for Decentralised Energy warns that current strategies lack the scale needed to support low carbon building and industrial transformation. High electricity costs and delays in grid connection pose further barriers to developing energy-efficient buildings and decarbonised manufacturing....

The UK Government has opened a consultation focused on reforming the environmental permitting regime to improve how waste, water, and flood risks are managed. This regulatory overhaul, led by Defra and the Welsh Government, could streamline processes crucial for achieving sustainable construction outcomes. A more agile permitting system would support compliance with environmental goals on construction sites and encourage adoption of eco-friendly construction methods, while reducing delays...

The UK has introduced new support for long-duration electricity storage to strengthen renewable energy infrastructure. Ofgem’s ‘cap and floor’ framework aims to fast-track large-scale “super batteries”, which are essential for balancing supply and demand in a fully renewable power system. The Scottish Government has approved the UK’s largest pumped hydro storage project, which will power over 1.4 million homes annually. These innovations support a low carbon building network and...

The UK construction industry is at growing risk of missing its 2030 Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) B rating target by nearly a decade, particularly across rented commercial assets like office buildings. A lack of progress on energy-efficient buildings and retrofitting poses both regulatory risk and reputational concerns for landlords and developers. This delay challenges the industry’s carbon footprint reduction efforts and highlights an urgent need to integrate life cycle cost analysis...

The UK commercial real estate sector faces significant hurdles in achieving Enhanced Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating targets by 2030. Many rented office buildings currently fall considerably short of energy-efficient building standards, with projections indicating that compliance with EPC B levels may not occur until at least 2040 at the present pace. Across commercial property portfolios, inconsistent implementation of sustainable design measures and necessary retrofits highlights...