Funding frozen. Communities left in limbo.
The $7 billion Solar for All program was set to bring clean energy and lower energy costs to low-income families in our communities. But now? @epagov, under the new administration, just cut off access to the funds for the cities, states, and groups running the programs – despite contracts already being signed and consequences hurting the most vulnerable.
Unfortunately, grant recipients for this work woke up to find themselves locked out of the grant portal, with no warning, no accountability, and no true point of contact. Even after a federal judge blocked the spending freeze, EPA has still refused to restore access to the funds!
This isn’t just bureaucratic chaos – it’s an intentional attack on clean energy and the communities that need it most. The money is there. The projects were ready. People were ready and invested. Now, they’re stalled while the administration claims it’s "reviewing processes." Or whatever that means.
This is morally and likely legally wrong. We cannot keep failing our most vulnerable.
Sustainable construction is under intensifying scrutiny as the climate agenda accelerates while policy certainty wanes. The UK faces warnings that withdrawing the Energy Company Obligation could erase tens of thousands of retrofit jobs, exposing how dependent the sector remains on stable incentives. Protecting retrofit capacity is critical for achieving net zero carbon buildings and advancing environmental sustainability in construction. Efficiency remains the most cost-effective route to decarbonising the built environment and reducing the carbon footprint of construction.
Global frameworks are tightening around embodied carbon and whole life carbon assessment. The Paris Agreement’s next phase favours coalitions of clients, cities, and contractors willing to lead on embodied carbon reduction and develop credible lifecycle assessment standards ahead of regulation. For construction supply chains, rising expectations on due diligence mean contractors and designers must integrate whole life carbon strategies, life cycle cost analysis, and environmental product declarations (EPDs) into procurement and specification. Financial institutions now view verified data on embodied carbon in materials and low carbon construction materials as core to investment decisions.
Negotiations toward a global minerals accord at the UN Environment Assembly faltered, leaving constructors reliant on voluntary disclosure frameworks to manage the environmental impact of construction. The pressure to adopt sustainable building practices and circular construction strategies will rise as green infrastructure investors demand transparent reporting on resource efficiency in construction and low embodied carbon materials.
Scotland’s indicative cap on incineration capacity points to a structural shift from waste-to-energy dependence to true circular economy in construction. This pivot compels the use of recycled aggregates, end-of-life reuse in construction, and eco-design for buildings with disassembly in mind. Demolition protocols are tightening, pushing sustainable building design to minimise waste generation throughout the building lifecycle performance. Such policy evolution aligns with the principles of sustainable material specification and circular economy integration mandated in BREEAM and BREEAM v7 frameworks.
Industrial decarbonisation is taking shape through low carbon design clusters such as the proposed green chemicals hub at Grangemouth. The initiative, supported by the Just Transition Fund, targets renewable building materials, low carbon feedstocks for insulation, and carbon neutral construction manufacturing. These projects signal a shift from pilot schemes to scalable, commercially viable low carbon building solutions that align with whole life carbon and net zero whole life carbon metrics.
The pathway forward for the sector demands consistent application of lifecycle assessment methodologies, greater adoption of sustainable building design, and measurable carbon footprint reduction. Firms that embed circular economy principles, optimise energy-efficient buildings performance, and employ green construction products stand to lead in life cycle thinking in construction. Waiting for complete policy alignment risks both competitiveness and compliance as markets move toward verifiable net zero carbon delivery.
Whole Life Carbon is a platform for the entire construction industry—both in the UK and internationally. We track the latest publications, debates, and events related to whole life guidance and sustainability. If you have any enquiries or opinions to share, please do
get in touch.
eco
WLC Assistant
Ask me about sustainability
Hi! I'm your Whole Life Carbon assistant. I can help you learn about sustainability, carbon assessment, and navigate our resources. How can I help you today?
