Spring 2025 brought the UK’s warmest and sunniest season on record, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable building design and increased environmental sustainability in construction. These shifting climate patterns are driving demand for energy-efficient buildings and pushing the industry to focus on the whole life carbon and embodied carbon of projects, as the carbon footprint of construction becomes an ever-greater concern. Material resilience and innovative life cycle cost approaches are essential strategies as the construction sector adapts to increased climate risks.
The UK’s planned airspace redesign aims to support airport expansion while targeting reductions in operational carbon and overall emissions from aviation. These changes have direct implications for new airport infrastructure, which must now prioritise net zero carbon buildings and incorporate eco-design for buildings and green construction materials. Achieving net zero whole life carbon will be increasingly critical in construction projects tied to transport and infrastructure.
Urban business sectors are embracing circular economy principles, with schemes like ReLondon’s support streams enabling the adoption of circular economy in construction. These initiatives drive industry focus on circular construction strategies and end-of-life reuse in construction, supporting resource efficiency and reducing embodied carbon in materials. Life cycle thinking in construction projects can help embed sustainable building practices at every stage, from design to delivery.
Major energy and technology companies are using artificial intelligence to optimise energy use in low carbon buildings and accelerate the clean energy transition. Smart solutions are improving building lifecycle performance and are key to regulatory compliance and decarbonising the built environment. Leading companies reporting strong methane emissions reductions are setting higher standards for environmental product declarations (EPDs) and robust lifecycle assessment, emphasising accountability and measurable targets across business sectors.
Attention is growing on consumer behaviour and business responsibility, with rising numbers of unused appliances and increasing legal action against business-related fly-tipping. Construction sites face scrutiny over waste management and sustainable material specification, reinforcing the need for eco-friendly construction and green building products. A culture of sustainability in construction demands compliance and active engagement with communities to ensure the environmental impact of construction remains a priority for all stakeholders.
