Sustainability

Decarbonising the nation’s homes requires an immense and multifaceted retrofit effort – but is the construction sector sufficiently skilled to deliver it? Keith Cooper investigates Turning tens of millions of homes green is a huge task for construction, and its workforce will play a pivotal role. But it’s a job…

As contractors are increasingly being asked to consider embodied carbon and retrofit of commercial buildings, Construction News and Mitsubishi Electric brought together a group of those working in the field to hear about the issues involved On the panel Matthew Arnold, building performance manager, ISG Anisha Mayor, head of sustainability,…

When Construction News partnered with Speedy to survey readers and hold a panel discussion on the industry's response to environmental challenges, the consensus was clear – a lot more needs to be done An overwhelming majority of companies in the construction sector have pledged positive action on decarbonisation over the…

Will the government’s extra £6bn in funding turbocharge energy efficiency in buildings – or is it just another headline-grabber? Adam Branson reports Whisper it, but at long last the government might just be starting to get at least vaguely serious about improving the energy efficiency of the nation’s buildings. In…

Chris Clarke is director of performance and improvement at public-sector procurement authority Scape It’s perhaps surprising to reflect that it was only in 2019 that the UK committed to its now well-documented 2050 net-zero target. However, in just three-and-a-half years, the world has changed dramatically – reinforcing the need for…

Proposed requirements for energy-efficient homes in Scotland could provide a sharp learning curve for contractors, their supply chain and end users. By Tiya Thomas-Alexander Just before Christmas, the Scottish Government made a significant announcement. Following a public consultation, it threw its weight behind a member’s bill proposing that all new…

Early collaboration among construction-sector partners would give clients, contractors and suppliers a better chance of decarbonising their operations, a recent roundtable discussion heard. But while innovative technology can play an important part in meeting net-zero targets, getting better at the basics is crucial, too. Mike Walter reports On the panel…

Sara Edmonds is lead technical consultant at Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (formerly Construction Scotland Innovation Centre)  Twelve months ago, we heard at COP26 that it was our last chance to reverse the impact of climate change, but with the follow-up United Nations summit on global warming now underway, we…

Ben Griffiths is operations director at Rye Group A recent report from the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee found that the construction, excavation and demolition industries are responsible for 62 per cent of the UK’s waste. This may be a shocking figure, but not surprising given that construction underpins…

Lee Jones is head of manufacturing solutions at NBS and acting head of sustainability at Byggfakta Group With COP27 taking place later on 6 November, the construction industry is gearing up for the latest advice on climate change. For construction, an industry responsible for nearly 40 per cent of all…