The UK is under pressure to meet its 2030 clean energy targets, with MPs stressing the urgent need for infrastructure upgrades such as improvements to the electricity grid. This is central to decarbonising the built environment and achieving net zero whole life carbon ambitions. Simon McWhirter has been appointed as Chief Executive of the UK Green Building Council, a move that may influence strategies around sustainable building design, whole life carbon assessment, and environmental sustainability in construction.
Across Europe, industry leaders are pushing for the expansion of sustainable construction and sustainable building practices along the entire construction value chain. Belgium has highlighted eco-design for buildings and circular economy in construction as crucial elements in reducing the carbon footprint of construction. In the European Union, new rules to prevent greenwashing have led investment funds to review their use of terms like “sustainable” and “ESG”, ensuring that green building products and low embodied carbon materials meet genuine standards for environmental impact of construction.
In the UK, Biodiversity Net Gain projects are restoring over 300 acres of farmland in the South Downs, supporting green infrastructure and reconnecting nature within new developments. This focus on life cycle thinking in construction and sustainable urban development ensures that environmental sustainability in construction goes beyond compliance, providing tangible benefits for nature and communities.
Innovation in sustainable construction materials is progressing, with Northern Lithium’s successful trial of lithium extraction technology in northeast England. This development strengthens supply chains for low carbon construction materials, supporting low carbon design and resource efficiency in construction as the industry moves towards carbon neutral construction and circular construction strategies.
Over 600 SMEs in the UK’s hospitality sector are participating in a pilot to reduce operational carbon through emissions-cutting measures, focusing on low carbon building and energy-efficient buildings. These actions demonstrate real-world applications of sustainable material specification, building lifecycle performance, and carbon footprint reduction, with significant cumulative savings expected across the sector.
These key developments show accelerating momentum for sustainability in construction, driven by regulatory action, leadership, innovation, and effective strategies for reducing embodied carbon in materials. The industry’s focus on lifecycle assessment, life cycle cost, and renewable building materials is shaping a more environmentally responsible future for the global built environment.
