The UK government’s updated Future Homes Standard will mandate solar panels for most new homes, signalling a move towards net zero carbon buildings and a renewed focus on environmental sustainability in construction. This policy is set to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy and low carbon building practice, making sustainable building design central to residential development. These changes are expected to deliver significant reductions in the whole life carbon and embodied carbon of new housing, aligning with national net zero whole life carbon goals and supporting eco-friendly construction across the country.
Simon McWhirter has been appointed Chief Executive of the UK Green Building Council, a decision widely backed within the sustainable construction industry. His leadership is poised to advance sustainable building practices and drive innovation in eco-design for buildings, helping the sector meet its net zero targets. Industry leaders anticipate greater emphasis on lifecycle assessment and whole life carbon assessment, both critical for ensuring building lifecycle performance and reducing the carbon footprint of construction.
The European Union has tightened detergent regulations, prioritising higher biodegradability standards, refillable packaging, and supply chain responsibility that extends to non-EU manufacturers. These new standards are expected to affect sustainable material specification and embodied carbon in materials used for building maintenance, with a positive impact on chemical safety and the life cycle cost of maintaining buildings. The updated regulations support sustainable design principles and foster low-impact construction practices throughout the region.
Reconomy is advancing circular economy in construction with a £1 million investment in the CircuLab research hub in Romania. This initiative aims to accelerate circular construction strategies and resource efficiency by innovating waste reduction and end-of-life reuse in construction materials. The research focus on the circular economy is set to improve low embodied carbon materials use and promote the development of renewable building materials, helping to further decarbonise the built environment.
Addressing e-waste, major UK retailer Currys now offers trade-in vouchers for old electrical appliances, highlighting an industry-wide commitment to reducing construction and demolition waste. Such schemes advance the circular economy, promote recycling, and recover valuable materials, supporting carbon footprint reduction and the environmental impact of construction in line with broader sustainability goals.
Nature-based solutions are attracting record investment as calls increase for improved oversight and transparency in environmental credit systems. The construction industry faces mounting expectations to embed nature-positive and green infrastructure in project design and delivery. Prioritising green building materials, sustainable urban development, and life cycle thinking in construction will be vital for meeting global climate and biodiversity targets.
