GID’s 2024 Responsible Investments Report signals a shift towards sustainable construction by prioritising low-carbon construction strategies and retrofitting within its $30 billion real estate portfolio. The focus aligns with increased industry attention to Whole Life Carbon and Embodied Carbon in materials. The move marks a clear step toward net zero Whole Life Carbon objectives and reflects broader adoption of sustainable building practices across international property markets.
The closure of Veolia’s plastics recycling operations in Bernburg introduces concerns about supply chain resilience for Circular Economy in construction. Recycled polymers, increasingly used in flooring, insulation and piping, are central to sustainable material specification and end-of-life reuse in construction. This development underscores the challenge of securing reliable sources of low Embodied Carbon materials crucial for sustainable building design.
In the US Southwest, Beale Infrastructure has suspended its reclaimed water expansion plans in Tucson, casting uncertainty over green infrastructure projects reliant on water reuse. Water systems are an essential component of environmental sustainability in construction, particularly in drought-prone areas aiming to meet strict Life Cycle Cost and net zero carbon goals through resilient resource management.
Capstone Green Energy’s weak quarterly performance raises questions about the scalability of decentralised clean technologies within energy-efficient buildings and industrial infrastructure. While microturbine systems have potential to reduce the carbon footprint of construction, their adoption reflects broader economic hurdles in deploying low carbon design solutions to support carbon neutral construction targets.
In the UK, Terra Firma Energy Limited’s strategic review comes at a time when regulatory expectations around Whole Life Carbon Assessments and lifecycle assessment integration into planning processes are increasing. The review's implications are significant for low carbon building development, as shifting energy models influence eco-design for buildings and carbon footprint reduction protocols across sustainable urban development initiatives.
The global construction industry continues to make incremental progress towards decarbonising the built environment. Demand for lifecycle thinking in construction, coupled with rising momentum behind breeam and breeam v7 frameworks, reflects growing emphasis on high-performance building lifecycle performance and green building materials.
