The beauty of water and what it gives to us🌊
We’re so lucky in Ireland to have an abundance of water. It gives us so much life, which means it’s worth protecting.
But keeping it clean is the main issue we face.
The EU and Ireland are working to clean our water ways, and restore the broken water cycle.
Many other countries face the problem of water shortages. If they’re lucky to receive water, it can also be polluted.
We sometimes take it for granted how lucky we are to have a healthy source of water.
Let’s do our best to keep it clean and respect it.
Find out more about the #WaterWiseEU campaign to ‘See Water Differently’ through the link in my bio.
Sustainable construction is entering the mainstream with new models proving that low carbon design and resource efficiency in construction can operate at scale. The 113‑home Zero Bills neighbourhood in Epping Forest integrates energy generation and storage into the fabric of housing, redefining sustainable building design through a decentralised microgrid that removes household energy bills for at least ten years. This approach demonstrates how net zero carbon buildings can merge renewable building materials, circular economy strategies and life cycle thinking in construction into practical delivery.
UKGBC’s latest Trends Report identifies a shift from climate declarations to tangible delivery, with sustainable building practices judged by disclosure and performance metrics including life cycle cost. This data-driven transition aligns with emerging frameworks for BREEAM v7 and net zero whole life carbon assessments, enhancing accountability across investors and developers.
Water management is being reframed as critical infrastructure in sustainable urban development. Integrated sustainable drainage systems are now core to eco-friendly construction, mitigating both drought and flood risk while advancing green infrastructure and whole life carbon optimisation. The move from isolated interventions to systems-based eco-design for buildings is reinforcing resilience within local planning policy.
Government investment through Great British Railways and bus network upgrades is generating a procurement pipeline that can embed carbon neutral construction and sustainable material specification. These programmes present opportunities to demonstrate circular construction strategies, environmental product declarations (EPDs) and low embodied carbon materials in major works.
International collaboration through InnovateUkraine extends UK expertise in environmental sustainability in construction to post-conflict resilience. The £17 million investment will foster modular, low carbon building systems designed for rapid deployment and rebuild, advancing circular economy in construction principles and end-of-life reuse in construction.
Global data from the United Nations reinforces the urgency of decarbonising the built environment. The environmental impact of construction—through embodied carbon, operational emissions and unaccounted waste—carries quantifiable social and economic costs. Zero Bills housing and similar models show how sustainable design, life cycle cost evaluation and whole life carbon consideration can transform the industry from aspiration to accountable 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?
