A recent benchmark from ShareAction exposes a widespread lack of climate ambition among the world’s leading real estate investment managers. Despite the building sector accounting for nearly 40% of global emissions, few firms have implemented robust strategies to cut embodied carbon or achieve net zero Whole Life Carbon outcomes. Weaknesses in emissions tracking, transparency, and climate risk mitigation highlight an urgent need for comprehensive Whole Life Carbon Assessment and stronger commitment to sustainable building practices across the investment landscape.
City Ventures is progressing on its Grove Village development in Santa Rosa, California, showcasing the commercial viability of eco-friendly construction. Featuring solar-powered homes and sustainable building design, the project aligns with growing global demand for low carbon design that merges environmental performance with modern functionality. This reflects how energy-efficient buildings, when backed by lifecycle assessment and Life Cycle Costing, can deliver both market appeal and long-term value.
The intensifying risk of urban wildfires in the UK has raised the stakes for sustainable architecture and fire-resilient design solutions. As temperatures climb, the construction industry faces pressure to respond with low carbon construction materials and layout strategies that prioritise climate resilience. Incorporating circular economy principles and life cycle thinking in construction will be crucial to delivering green infrastructure capable of withstanding heat stress and firewaves.
A shift in career preferences among UK school leavers signals a growing appetite for roles linked to environmental sustainability in construction and renewable technologies. Vocational training in sustainable construction methods, green building materials, and Whole Life Carbon literacy could be pivotal in equipping the next generation of workers to support the transition toward net zero carbon buildings and sustainable urban development.
In Hungary and beyond, the rapid expansion of electric vehicle battery infrastructure is presenting environmental challenges. The carbon footprint of construction associated with such facilities underscores the need for stricter standards and transparent reporting, including environmental product declarations (EPDs) and embodied carbon in materials. This highlights the importance of addressing carbon neutral construction practices from the outset of major industrial projects.
Instability in global battery supply chains also underlines the complexity of achieving true sustainability in large-scale developments. As industrial facilities ramp up, applying circular construction strategies and assessing building lifecycle performance will become essential to limiting the environmental impact of construction and driving resource efficiency in construction operations worldwide.
