Sustainability

Mace, Morgan Sindall and Willmott Dixon have signed a letter sent to the construction minister, urging him to make carbon assessments mandatory for public sector jobs. The letter to Lee Rowley (see bottom of article), sent by framework provider Scape and and signed by 16 contractors and consultants, called for…

Another 11 firms, including Galliford Try and VolkerWessels, have joined the Construction Leadership Council’s (CLC) carbon reduction programme. Launched in March this year, the CO2nstructZero industry change programme brings together firms to act as “business champions” for carbon reduction in the construction sector. The 11 new firms to sign up…

The industry’s decisions and innovation are key to the government’s aims of levelling up the country and meeting net-zero targets, the construction minister has said. Speaking at the Construction News Summit, Lee Rowley stressed how much of a priority it is for the government to make the industry greener, and…

Tender prices are expected to rise next year due to increases in the cost of energy, Arcadis has predicted. The consultant’s updated tender-price forecast for 2021/22 found that inflationary pressures on buildings is expected to peak at between 4-6 per cent in London and between 4-5 per cent regionally in…

Construction companies are being disincentivised from refurbishing buildings because of a high VAT tax, Mace chief executive Mark Reynolds has said. The government must step in to reform the 20 per cent VAT tax on refurbishments to encourage more sustainable practices, he said at the Construction News Summit last week.…

Leaders of tier one firms have called for the spirit of cooperation that emerged among contractors in the early days of the pandemic to continue, as the industry tackles major challenges such as the climate crisis and a skills shortage. Speaking at the Construction News Summit in central London on…

MPs have slammed the “poorly designed and troubled implementation” of the government’s now-scrapped flagship energy-saving policy. A report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the scheme performed so dismally that it risked damaging confidence in the government’s net-zero agenda. It added that, despite the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme…

Wates has made “a big investment” in data to help with its performance and to provide better value for customers, its chief executive has said. David Allen (pictured) said the investment will be used to help clients decide between retrofitting properties or opting for new-builds. Construction News understands the investment…

Labour has called for clarity on how the government plans to remove China’s state-owned energy company from nuclear power projects in the UK. Asked about Chinese involvement in nuclear projects at Bradwell and Sizewell during Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) yesterday, Boris Johnson said the UK “do[es] not want to see…

Galliford Try has been awarded a contract to build a school with offsite-manufactured timber panels. It will construct the Marjorie McClure Special Needs and Disability School in Bromley, south London, which will cater for students between the ages of four and 19 with physical, medical and learning difficulties. A value…