The appointment of Richard Broad, Director at the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products, to the Advisory Panel of the University of the West of England's Centre for Advanced Built Environment Research, signifies the growing importance of environmental sustainability in construction. His experience enhances the integration of real-world sustainable building design into academic frameworks, reinforcing efforts to embed low carbon design in teaching, research and future project delivery across the sector.
The National Trust has unveiled a Climate Action Transition Plan that sets a precedent for sustainable design across historical and natural landscapes. With goals to achieve net zero carbon by 2030, the plan includes carbon management, habitat restoration and eco-friendly construction across its extensive estates. These measures reflect the growing demand for Whole Life Carbon Assessment and align with strategies to implement circular economy principles in large-scale land conservation.
The UN has issued new guidance urging construction-sector employers to address heat stress risks linked to climate change. As global temperatures rise, safeguarding site workers now directly intersects with sustainable construction planning. The guidance calls for holistic planning approaches that consider life cycle cost and building lifecycle performance, especially in regions facing extreme heat.
Saudi Arabia's efforts to promote biodegradable plastics as part of its national sustainability agenda may lead to broader adoption of low Whole Life Carbon materials across multiple industries. This shift, while rooted in packaging, signals an opportunity for the construction sector to embrace sustainable building practices through improved material sourcing and alignment with circular economy in construction strategies.
At COP30, non-existent or overpriced accommodation is posing challenges for attendees, highlighting the crucial need for improved green infrastructure and energy-efficient buildings in host cities. Stakeholders have underlined the importance of integrating net zero carbon buildings in future event planning, reinforcing the value of long-term infrastructure aligned with carbon footprint reduction mandates.
Calls for adoption of advanced digital tools and nature-based monitoring underscore the relevance of lifecycle assessment in construction. A Somerset cheesemaker’s use of AI to track biodiversity, though outside the sector, reflects a broader opportunity for green building products and environmental product declarations (EPDs) to support data-led decision-making. The construction industry may benefit from similar innovations in monitoring environmental impact of construction and supporting end-of-life reuse in construction materials.
