GID has released its 2024 Responsible Investments Report, highlighting a commitment to integrating environmental sustainability in construction across global developments. The firm is prioritising BREEAM certifications and energy efficiency measures to reduce the carbon footprint of construction. These steps directly support goals for net zero Whole Life Carbon and reflect a shift toward sustainable building design aligned with Whole Life Carbon Assessment principles.

Terra Firma Energy Limited has launched a strategic review to enhance its contribution to the UK’s energy system. The review underscores the link between efficient infrastructure and low carbon design. Sustainable construction increasingly relies on smart energy integration and life cycle thinking in construction, crucial for delivering energy-efficient buildings aligned with long-term sustainability objectives.

WRAP’s updated Household Food Waste Collection Guide aligns with the UK’s evolving Simpler Recycling framework, reinforcing the importance of Circular Economy in construction. Supporting material circularity and end-of-life reuse in construction has become a foundation of sustainable material specification and circular construction strategies, essential for low-impact construction outcomes.

The closure of Veolia’s recycling plants in Germany draws attention to the instability of supply chains for recycled polymers and their impact on sourcing low carbon construction materials. The industry’s reliance on renewable building materials faces constraints that threaten Circular Economy models vital for achieving net zero carbon buildings and embodied carbon reductions.

New modelling suggests parts of continental Europe may face sustained 40°C temperatures, prompting greater urgency for climate-adaptive architecture. The built environment must now incorporate passive cooling, robust insulation and eco-design for buildings to address the life cycle cost and embodied carbon in materials within heat-resilient developments.

Stalled negotiations on a global plastics treaty reveal policy headwinds around material usage, with direct implications for the availability of green building materials. The construction sector must accelerate the transition to low embodied carbon materials and green construction practices if it is to meet targets for decarbonising the built environment and sustainable urban development.