Coral reefs around the world are experiencing a mass bleaching event as the climate crisis drives record-breaking ocean heat, two scientific bodies recently announced — with some experts warning this could become the worst bleaching period in recorded history.
More than 54% of the world’s coral reef areas have experienced bleaching in the past year, affecting at least 53 countries and territories including large swaths of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, a joint statement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and The International Coral Reef Initiative said.
“It is likely that this event will surpass the previous peak of 56.1% soon,” Derek Manzello, the coordinator for NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch program, said in an email to CNN. “The percentage of reef areas experiencing bleaching-level heat stress has been increasing by roughly 1% per week.”
This marks the world’s fourth global bleaching event, and the second in the past decade – with previous periods in 1998, 2010, and between 2014-2017.
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📸: Bex Wright/CNN
Renewable energy supply remains at the centre of sustainable construction progress, driven by a sharper emphasis on whole life carbon reduction and embodied carbon transparency. The landmark Power Purchase Agreement between Ecotricity and major UK venues such as The O2 and Hammersmith Apollo introduces hourly-matched renewable electricity directly into construction-adjacent infrastructure. This approach demonstrates how low carbon design and sustainable building practices are extending beyond individual projects to influence energy management across the built environment, creating a measurable impact on the carbon footprint of construction.
Innovation in low carbon building technology has accelerated through electric vehicle integration within heavy industry. Munro, the Glasgow-based manufacturer of electric 4x4 vehicles, has secured £2 million to expand production for mining, defence and construction sectors. The company’s portfolio aligns with net zero carbon buildings objectives and supports the decarbonising of the built environment, enabling contractors to meet life cycle cost targets through improved efficiency and reduced fuel dependency. Such advancements signal how sustainable design is being applied to both the machinery and materials that underpin green construction.
In materials science, the substitution of traditional carbon black with char—an upcycled byproduct of chemical recycling—marks a step forward in circular economy in construction principles. This innovation reflects a growing reliance on low embodied carbon materials and supports eco-friendly construction through reduced dependency on fossil-based additives. The move embodies whole life carbon assessment methodologies where each material’s energy input and reusability are evaluated to enhance building lifecycle performance, ensuring resource efficiency in construction extends across entire supply chains.
Skills and regulatory frameworks are evolving to match these innovations. The Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals has launched the UK’s first accredited carbon accounting curriculum, designed to support ESG practitioners in conducting lifecycle assessments and environmental product declarations (EPDs). By integrating life cycle thinking in construction education, the programme strengthens understanding of embodied carbon in materials and fosters sustainable material specification that ensures transparency within sustainable building design. It also aligns with standards such as BREEAM and BREEAM v7, essential benchmarks for environmental sustainability in construction.
Policy continues to reinforce technical change. The EU’s simplification of its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism deepens alignment between trade and climate performance, addressing the environmental impact of construction imports while reinforcing circular economy goals. The initiative strengthens Europe’s drive toward carbon neutral construction and reinforces the importance of end-of-life reuse in construction. Together, these shifts suggest a sector embedding whole life thinking at scale, where green building materials, renewable building resources and eco-design for buildings converge to deliver net zero whole life carbon outcomes that redefine sustainable urban development.
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