The University of the West of England has strengthened its focus on environmental sustainability in construction by appointing Richard Broad of the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products to its Centre for Advanced Built Environment Research. His expertise is expected to support the integration of Whole Life Carbon Assessment and Circular Economy strategies into mainstream construction research, with a particular emphasis on low carbon construction materials and embodied carbon in materials. This appointment reflects a growing demand for sustainable building design across both commercial and academic sectors.
The newly launched UK National Wealth Fund will support the Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme through a £300 million loan guarantee. The project targets the upgrade of ageing water infrastructure to cope with climate-related stress, incorporating resilient, low carbon design principles. By embedding sustainability into civil engineering works, this initiative highlights how Whole Life Carbon and Life Cycle Costing considerations are becoming essential in long-term infrastructure investment decisions.
The National Trust has announced its Climate Action Transition Plan, applying sustainable construction strategies to its heritage portfolio. With a 2030 net zero carbon goal, the plan involves energy-efficient buildings, end-of-life reuse in construction and the reduction of the carbon footprint of construction across estates. This initiative demonstrates the application of lifecycle assessment and sustainable material specification even in historically sensitive buildings.
In Soham, Co-op has launched a sustainability showcase store featuring renewable building materials, intelligent energy systems and clean technologies. The facility functions as a live pilot of eco-design for buildings, emphasising practical solutions for carbon neutral construction within the retail environment. It reflects a shift towards sustainable building practices in commercial spaces and contributes to the broader decarbonising of the built environment.
In Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has pledged stronger enforcement against unauthorised riverbank development, directly addressing environmental impact of construction in flood-prone areas. Poor planning and unchecked construction continue to exacerbate vulnerability to Climate Change. Strengthened regulations could signal a policy-level recognition of the role of sustainable urban development in climate resilience.
Water scarcity is again in the spotlight as Yorkshire Water was granted a drought permit related to the Grimwith Reservoir. Infrastructure responses to water risk now form part of a larger conversation around eco-friendly construction and life cycle thinking in construction. Projects increasingly require green infrastructure integration to mitigate resource scarcity and support long-term environmental sustainability in construction.
