The UK Government’s new 10-year Industrial Strategy prioritises environmental sustainability in construction, aiming to cut electricity costs for over 7,000 manufacturers and drive investment in clean energy. With £700 million allocated to GB Energy, there is potential to accelerate the transition towards net zero carbon buildings and foster the adoption of whole life carbon assessment in major projects. Stakeholders in sustainable construction highlight the importance of integrating embodied carbon measurement into policy frameworks to ensure energy efficiency and low carbon design become industry standards. Uncertainty remains regarding the concrete implementation of these initiatives and how effectively they will mainstream sustainable building design and sustainable material specification across the sector.
AECOM’s appointment as technical advisor to VicGrid signals a pivotal moment for green infrastructure in Australia, influencing sustainable building practices and the application of circular economy principles within construction supply chains. The consultancy’s guidance on the energy transformation project has direct implications for low carbon construction materials, renewable building materials and the adoption of eco-design for buildings. This partnership is expected to drive improvements in building lifecycle performance, whole life carbon reduction, and life cycle cost efficiency, supporting targets for net zero whole life carbon across new infrastructure.
The United Nations has established the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution, tasked with shaping regulations on environmental impact of construction, particularly in the use and disposal of materials. This development suggests future tightening of standards for embodied carbon in materials and reinforces the need for construction professionals to actively incorporate lifecycle assessment, resource efficiency in construction, and circular construction strategies to comply with evolving regulatory frameworks. There is growing momentum for end-of-life reuse in construction and a shift towards the circular economy in construction as governments and industry leaders adopt decarbonising the built environment as a core objective.
Sustainability reporting is increasingly central to the supply chain, evidenced by H.B. Fuller’s 2024 Sustainability Report, which details progress in reducing the carbon footprint of construction through innovative adhesives manufacturing. Industry leaders are setting ambitious goals for energy-efficient buildings and the reduction of carbon footprint reduction across lifecycle stages. This shift reflects greater emphasis on environmental product declarations (EPDs), sustainable material specification and the transparency needed to track embodied carbon and life cycle thinking in construction.
The push for electrifying UK vehicle fleets underscores the critical role of the construction sector in expanding EV infrastructure. This trend supports the wider adoption of green building materials and aligns with sustainable urban development aims. Contractors and developers are responding by updating sustainable design approaches and incorporating low-impact construction techniques, further reinforcing commitments to carbon footprint reduction and carbon neutral construction in the built environment.
Collectively, these developments demonstrate that global expectations and standards for sustainability in construction are advancing rapidly. From investment and regulation to lifecycle assessment and supply chain transparency, the sector faces strong incentives to adopt comprehensive strategies for low embodied carbon materials, eco-friendly construction and whole life carbon optimisation. The latest policies, partnerships and reporting frameworks indicate that sustainable construction is becoming central to industry practice, with whole life carbon and circular economy objectives at the forefront of progress.
