Resilient construction is becoming essential for safeguarding both the insurability and long-term value of affordable housing worldwide. At the 2025 ULI Resilience Summit, leaders emphasised how adopting robust building methods enhances access to insurance and protects critical housing stock, especially as insurers raise premiums and toughen eligibility. Integrating environmental sustainability in construction not only increases property resilience to extreme weather and climate risk, but also positions projects for better whole life carbon management and long-term lifecycle assessment outcomes.
Current innovation in sustainable construction is focused on embedded technology to drive down operational and embodied carbon. Projects like ZD Jasper’s VITA condominium in New York demonstrate how smart building systems are shaping the next generation of energy-efficient buildings and low carbon design. Embedding digital solutions from the concept stage supports sustainable building design and ensures that both the carbon footprint of construction and future lifecycle cost are minimised. This reinforces sustainable building practices as fundamental for achieving net zero carbon buildings and meeting demands for net zero whole life carbon assessment in global property markets.
Existing building stock continues to offer significant opportunities for reducing the carbon footprint of construction. The IEA’s latest analysis pinpoints the need for greater industrial energy efficiency across construction materials manufacturing and building operations. By harnessing lifecycle thinking in construction and maximising resource efficiency in construction, firms benefit from reduced operating costs and improved building lifecycle performance. Focus on embodied carbon in materials, low embodied carbon materials, and environmental product declarations (EPDs) is becoming a strategic priority, offering competitive advantage while contributing to decarbonising the built environment.
Major funding and policy initiatives are accelerating the adoption of sustainable construction strategies. The UK’s £13.2 billion Warm Homes Plan targets decarbonisation through sustainable material specification and retrofit of the existing housing stock, promoting eco-design for buildings that achieve low-impact construction and life cycle cost savings. In Scotland, the Acorn CCS project’s substantial investment in carbon capture and storage highlights an increasing commitment to integrating circular construction strategies and renewable building materials. These efforts collectively signal momentum towards a circular economy in construction and broader sustainability objectives.
A new generation of professionals is delivering leadership in sustainable urban development, advancing the circular economy and innovative approaches to the environmental impact of construction. Recognition of emerging experts and their work in sustainable design and eco-friendly construction signals a sector-wide move towards carbon neutral construction and green infrastructure. Success will require continued policy support, innovation in green building materials and products, and a willingness from stakeholders to embrace both change and risk for a truly sustainable built environment.
