Deep in the Canadian Arctic, scientists and entrepreneurs brave sub-zero temperatures, whipping winds and snowstorms to drill holes through the sea ice to pump out the seawater below and freeze it on the surface.
The group from the UK start-up Real Ice is in Cambridge Bay, a tiny coastal village in Nunavut, to try to prove they can grow and restore Arctic sea ice.
Their ultimate plan is to thicken ice over more than 386,000 square miles of the Arctic — an area more than twice the size of California — with the aim of slowing down or even reversing summer ice loss and, in doing so, help to tackle the human-caused climate crisis.
But some Arctic scientists and experts have criticized Real Ice’s methods as unproven at scale, ecologically risky and a distraction from tackling the root cause of climate change: fossil fuels.
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📸 : Real Ice
Sustainability in construction continues to drive industry transformation, with a strong emphasis on decarbonising the built environment and achieving net zero carbon buildings. Cushman & Wakefield’s 2024 Sustainability Report confirms that real estate organisations are increasing their focus on whole life carbon, sustainable building design, and energy-efficient buildings. Supply chain transparency and efforts to lower the carbon footprint of construction are central, with more companies embedding whole life carbon assessment and lifecycle assessment practices to make measurable progress beyond superficial commitments.
Record-breaking heatwaves across Europe have intensified focus on climate resilience, highlighting the urgent need for low-impact construction and climate-adaptive solutions. The rising human and economic toll of heat events places new importance on building lifecycle performance, passive and resilient design, and careful selection of sustainable material specification. Developers and clients are increasingly aware that prioritising the environmental sustainability in construction of projects is crucial for reducing future risks and ensuring long-term functionality.
The macroeconomic context underscores the sector’s responsibility: with projections showing climate mitigation costs driving public debt to historic levels, the business case for green construction and carbon neutral construction is strengthening. Investment decisions now favour low carbon construction materials, green building products, environmental product declarations (EPDs), and the adoption of life cycle cost evaluation across projects. Embracing whole life carbon and circular economy principles in construction is proving indispensable for future-proofing assets.
Digital transformation in construction is aligning with sustainability objectives, particularly as data centre infrastructure faces growing risks from extreme climate events. These challenges are accelerating the uptake of sustainable construction and end-of-life reuse in construction, highlighting the interdependence between environmental impact of construction, resource efficiency, and resilient infrastructure. Recent developments confirm that commitment to net zero carbon buildings, reduction in embodied carbon in materials, and eco-friendly strategies in the built environment is no longer optional, but essential for competitive, responsible construction globally.
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