The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has introduced a global standard for the responsible use of artificial intelligence in surveying. This connects directly with sustainable building design, where AI supports Whole Life Carbon Assessment, material selection, and lifecycle assessment. Embedding ethical guidance in digital tools ensures environmental sustainability in construction and strengthens sustainable construction practices. It also bolsters confidence that low carbon design strategies genuinely contribute to decarbonising the built environment rather than inflating the carbon footprint of construction.
In London, planning permission for the redevelopment of the historic Custom House reflects the growing emphasis on retrofit over rebuild. Retaining embodied carbon in materials while upgrading to contemporary energy performance targets represents a practical response to life cycle cost concerns. The project illustrates how eco-design for buildings can protect heritage, reduce waste, and support net zero whole life carbon ambitions, demonstrating the value of whole life carbon thinking within sustainable urban development.
Timber reclaimed from demolished urban buildings is proving valuable not only as renewable building materials but also as data archives. Scientists are analysing growth rings to map past climates, improving life cycle thinking in construction and informing future adaptation strategies. This aligns with circular construction strategies, where end-of-life reuse in construction creates measurable impact and underpins eco-friendly construction using low embodied carbon materials.
Major investment in the UK’s largest battery storage project at Thorpe Marsh underlines the intersection of green infrastructure and energy-efficient buildings. Large-scale renewable systems directly affect the carbon footprint reduction potential of net zero carbon buildings, enabling resilient building lifecycle performance and carbon neutral construction. Integration of such infrastructure into sustainable architecture and design is increasingly vital to futureproof urban developments.
Heat and flood risks facing stadiums planned for World Cup fixtures highlight the urgency of climate resilience. Environmental impact of construction is no longer confined to efficiency but extends to long-term safety thresholds. Life cycle cost assessments and whole life carbon approaches must now include resilience to flooding, extreme heat, and futureproof resource efficiency in construction to protect both people and assets.
The European Parliament’s revisions to the EU Waste Framework Directive strengthen the circular economy and sustainable material specification, pushing developers to extend responsibility beyond project delivery. The emphasis on circular economy in construction and environmental product declarations (EPDs) marks a shift towards sustainable building practices that include afterlife reuse, closing loops, and embedding circular economy strategies into green building products and eco-design for buildings from the outset.
