The UK’s largest battery energy storage project at Thorpe Marsh has secured £1bn in investment, enabling renewable energy distribution to more than 785,000 homes. This development highlights the critical role of sustainable infrastructure in reducing the carbon footprint of construction and strengthening the transition to net zero whole life carbon in national energy systems. Large-scale storage capacity supports low carbon design in electricity supply, underpinning cleaner operations for the built environment.
Jones Bros have been appointed to deliver a major sustainable energy park in Newport, creating one of the UK’s biggest storage facilities. This investment reinforces environmental sustainability in construction by embedding energy resilience into infrastructure. Projects of this scale contribute directly to whole life carbon reduction strategies while supporting life cycle cost efficiency and building lifecycle performance across the supply chain.
Sir Robert McAlpine has been tasked with leading a new spa development in Manchester designed to meet ambitious green construction standards. By prioritising energy-efficient buildings and sustainable building design, the project demonstrates how eco-friendly construction methods are expanding from commercial property into leisure facilities. The focus extends to embodied carbon in materials and resource efficiency in construction, evidencing the sector-wide push for sustainable building practices.
The UK government’s National Wealth Fund is strengthening its backing for sustainable construction with up to £200m earmarked for storage technology. This commitment signals a shift towards embedding whole life carbon assessment within national infrastructure planning. Integrating lifecycle assessment and circular construction strategies into such investments moves beyond retrofit measures, aligning with carbon neutral construction objectives and net zero carbon buildings targets.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has released a new global standard governing AI in surveying. More precise data enables whole life carbon assessment and eco-design for buildings, supporting low embodied carbon materials specification and better lifecycle thinking in construction. Accurate evaluation of embodied carbon encourages carbon footprint reduction, optimises sustainable material specification, and reduces unnecessary overspend in project delivery.
Growing concern over waste in Europe’s healthcare sector, with nearly a million tonnes of single-use plastics generated last year, presents wider implications for green infrastructure. Hospitals and public buildings must address embodied carbon through renewable building materials, circular economy in construction, and end-of-life reuse in construction. Such approaches are central to achieving low carbon building standards and meeting global sustainability targets.
