Holcim has announced its NextGen Growth 2030 strategy, reinforcing its goal to lead sustainable construction globally. The plan aligns with its forthcoming North American business listing and signals a major shift towards decarbonising the built environment. Emphasis will centre on accelerating low carbon design, scaling up low carbon construction materials and technology to reduce the whole life carbon and embodied carbon footprints of new and existing buildings.
Innovation in construction material is advancing rapidly. Biozeroc Ltd has launched BioConcrete, a patent-pending carbon-negative material designed to replace traditional cement. This biotech-driven solution directly tackles embodied carbon in materials, supporting a significant reduction in carbon footprint of construction and enabling climate-conscious specification in sustainable building design. Emidat is enhancing transparency across the industry by automating the creation of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), making lifecycle assessment and whole life carbon assessment more efficient for greener material choices.
Tools and resources for environmental sustainability in construction continue to expand. Firstplanit’s intelligent planning tool supports designers and builders in the selection of green building materials and products, fostering both resource efficiency in construction and life cycle cost improvements throughout a project’s building lifecycle performance. Pallas Textiles has introduced a new sustainability hub, offering data on environmental impacts to aid in sustainable material specification for interior fit-outs and eco-design for buildings.
Focus on traditional, renewable building materials is also increasing. Companies such as The Lime Place and Saint-Astier spotlight breathable and low impact materials, suitable for low carbon building applications, refurbishment, and conservation. Alongside, more projects are prioritising end-of-life reuse in construction, particularly with glass partitioning systems, supporting circular economy strategies and minimising waste across the sector.
The construction industry is seeing momentum build within the circular economy in construction and net zero carbon buildings. Collaboration between innovators, manufacturers, and designers is enabling sustainable building practices aiming for net zero whole life carbon. This unified effort across sustainable urban development, operational carbon management, and low-impact construction illustrates a global commitment to reducing the environmental impact of construction and driving forward the path to carbon neutral construction.
Accelerated progress towards environmental sustainability is tangible, integrating new technologies with long-standing materials. These developments highlight the importance of life cycle thinking in construction, supporting energy-efficient buildings and advancing the green construction movement. This collective approach underpins a future where sustainability is embedded in every phase of building, ensuring a resilient and eco-friendly construction ecosystem worldwide.
