Building Towards Net Zero – Next Steps For The Construction Sector

Sustainability, net zero, ESG. All topics that are (or should be) at the top of every organisation's agenda. But many are confused about what they should be doing, and indeed exactly how we define net zero.

The general response from most environmentalists and climate change experts is that it is time for action, given that we are now in a climate emergency.

The UK government has targeted 2050 for net zero emissions (along with the Welsh and NI Assembly, and Scotland earlier at 2045), with a target of a 78% reduction in carbon emissions by 2035 announced in April this year. Many local authorities and public bodies have set targets earlier than 2050.

With so many clients reporting this as a priority, Mills & Reeve's construction team commissioned a report from Professor Sean Smith, Chair of Future Construction, School of Engineering and Director of the Centre for Future Infrastructure, Edinburgh Futures Institute at the University of Edinburgh, together with