Why Is Construction’s Green Future Stuck?

NBS, the construction technology platform, recently surveyed over 600 construction professionals about the sustainability of building projects in recent years. Surprisingly, considering the built environment is responsible for a quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions, green achievements have gone back over the past decade, with only one in three construction professionals hitting eco-friendly targets on their projects. In contrast, ten years ago it was around half.

One in five construction professionals never measures or reports sustainability metrics on their projects. Related to this, more than half of respondents haven’t worked on a net-zero project in the past year, and only 4% have only worked on net-zero projects.

Barriers

This surprising finding may be explained by over half of professionals saying that key barriers to sustainability are lack of client demand and the perceived higher financial costs of sustainable projects. Around four in ten say there’s a lack of precise government direction/regulation and a similar number say that greener products are more likely to be value-engineered out at the contracting stage.

Drivers

When asked about drivers for green projects, almost nine in ten construction professionals said personal values, followed by half saying leading by example. Around a quarter of those surveyed said client demand, company policy, and legislation had driven sustainable work.

Not unexpectedly, professionals are frustrated, with three-quarters saying they’re personally upset that they cannot make more of an impact.

A significant consideration is that 80% of the buildings likely to be around in 2050 are already built, so it should be expected that a focus would be on de-carbonizing existing buildings.

The findings show that light refurbishment projects are less likely to achieve sustainability than new builds. Nine out of ten surveyed said they thought there should be more Government help to support existing buildings to become net-zero. The move to cut VAT to 0% on energy-saving materials is one such move, but it should be noted that new build projects are zero VAT rated, while refurbishments are not.

Commenting on the research, Russell Haworth, CEO of NBS said:

“Despite the climate emergency, and the desire by people in construction to create greener buildings, there are key barriers to building more sustainably. The siloed and fragmented approach to construction projects is one issue and when this is coupled with a lack of client demand, inconsistent and unambitious Government policy, along with data blind spots around construction product information, it’s clear why we’re not making greater progress. According to the Treasury and Green Construction Board, embodied carbon has the most potential to be reduced at the design and planning phases, anything else has a substantially lower chance of reducing carbon, to leverage this fact successfully specifiers and the broader project team need access to much better information.”

“It’s not an exaggeration to say we’re now facing the biggest crisis of our lifetimes and with construction responsible for 25% of UK emissions, this is too big to leave to personal choice. However, as the financial system becomes more aware of climate risk and carbon costs, this will provide a powerful push for construction to become greener. Soon projects will be uninsurable and unable to secure loans without evidence of their green credentials. So, it’s imperative we focus on the four Cs – climate, carbon, compliance and cost. Linking these together will be the ever-growing need for data and transparency.”

NBS

NBS is a global leading technology platform that combines some of the best content and connectivity for anyone involved in the design, supply, and construction of the built environment.

For architects, engineers, designers and contractors we provide a cloud-based specification system that enables them to work smarter and reduce their risk.

For building product manufacturers, we help grow their business by exposing their products across the construction project timeline.

Headquartered in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, NBS has a global reach via our permanent bases in both Australia and Canada.

Our roots lie in the UK’s National Building Specification, which for nearly 50 years has been helping the construction industry build better and with lower risk.

Our future lies in cloud-based technologies and connected data, as we fast become the information marketplace for the global construction industry.

Birmingham Unveils the UK’s Best Emerging HealthTech Advances

Kosta Mavroulakis • 03rd April 2025

The National HealthTech Series hosted its latest event in Birmingham this month, showcasing innovative startups driving advanced health technology, including AI-assisted diagnostics, wearable devices and revolutionary educational tools for healthcare professionals. Health stakeholders drawn from the NHS, universities, industry and front-line patient care met with new and emerging businesses to define the future trajectory of...

Why DEIB is Imperative to Tech’s Future

Hadas Almog from AppsFlyer • 17th March 2025

We’ve been seeing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) initiatives being cut time and time again throughout the tech industry. DEIB dedicated roles have been eliminated, employee resource groups have lost funding, and initiatives once considered crucial have been deprioritised in favour of “more immediate business needs.” The justification for these cuts is often the...

The need to eradicate platform dependence

Sue Azari • 10th March 2025

The advertising industry is undergoing a seismic shift. Connected TV (CTV), Retail Media Networks (RMNs), and omnichannel strategies are rapidly redefining how brands engage with consumers. As digital privacy regulations evolve and platform dynamics shift, advertisers must recognise a fundamental truth. You cannot build a sustainable business on borrowed ground. The recent uncertainty surrounding TikTok...

The need to clean data for effective insight

David Sheldrake • 05th March 2025

There is more data today than ever before. In fact, the total amount of data created, captured, copied, and consumed globally has now reached an incredible 149 zettabytes. The growth of the big mountain is not expected to slow down, either, with it expected to reach almost 400 zettabytes within the next three years. Whilst...

What can be done to democratize VDI?

Dennis Damen • 05th March 2025

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) offers businesses enhanced security, scalability, and compliance, yet it remains a niche technology. One of the biggest barriers to widespread adoption is a severe talent gap. Many IT professionals lack hands-on VDI experience, as their careers begin with physical machines and increasingly shift toward cloud-based services. This shortage has created a...

Tech and Business Outlook: US Confident, European Sentiment Mixed

Viva Technology • 11th February 2025

The VivaTech Confidence Barometer, now in its second edition, reveals strong confidence among tech executives regarding the impact of emerging technologies on business competitiveness, particularly AI, which is expected to have the most significant impact in the near future. Surveying tech leaders from Europe and North America, 81% recognize their companies as competitive internationally, with...