Climate change and sustainability
Why construction must act now.
The twin challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, both driven by human activity, threaten the stability of Earth’s natural life support systems. The 2023 State of the Climate Report published in the journal Bioscience declared that “life on planet Earth is under siege” and “we are pushing our planetary systems into dangerous instability.”
Construction is a major contributor to both of these issues.
The construction industry also consumes large volumes of raw materials and generates one-third of the world’s waste, while hard infrastructure is the second largest driver of man-made pressure on biodiversity.
The built environment must be a key driver of change, not least because what we build today will define tomorrow, but decarbonising existing stock is also a major priority alongside ensuring new buildings are future fit.
We must harness the skill and ingenuity of the sector, and collaborate with others, as we aim to ensure all projects delivered today, make a positive contribution to the future we want to see.
Our policy position on sustainability
Decarbonisation of the built environment is vital to achieving net zero and the industry must increase momentum towards this goal.
View our publications
Academy courses
Chartered Environmentalist
CIOB is licensed to award Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) status by the Society for the Environment (SocEnv). Gaining CEnv establishes your commitment and experience in sustainable development, as it applies to construction and the built environment. You will also gain a network of more than 8,000 peers, as well as international recognition.
Blogs
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COP29 highlights construction’s role in climate action
Discussions show progress is being made.
Construction has major role in biodiversity protection
A new digital series from CIOB and CWP explores the relationship between construction and nature.
Waving the flag for sustainability on UN SDG Flag Day
How the UN Sustainable Development Goals relate to the construction sector and CIOB's corporate plan.
CMYA Sustainability Award
The CIOB Sustainability Award, introduced to the CIOB Awards in 2022, celebrates those who have made their mark on sustainability within the built environment. Our winner will have demonstrated their understanding of sustainable development whilst taking an active role in supporting communities.
The Nature of Building: Biodiversity and the Built Environment
As the built environment continues to expand, working to address its impact on nature is more vital than ever. The Nature of Building, a digital series produced by CIOB in partnership with Content With Purpose (CWP), explores the powerful relationship between construction and biodiversity, shining a light on the strategies reshaping the industry to mitigate its environmental impact.
Environmental Sustainability Action Plan 2024-2028
The Environmental Sustainability Action Plan delivers the commitments within our Corporate Plan 2023-2025, and acts as a framework to deliver change, setting out activities to embed Sustainability across CIOB functions for the period January 2024 to December 2028.
Become a Sustainability Ambassador
The CIOB recognises the valuable experience and knowledge of sustainability in the built environment that members can bring to our discussions on this important and broad topic. The role of the CIOB Sustainability Ambassador is available to CIOB members with a keen interest and some knowledge in this area to work with local Hubs and Regional Committees to make a positive contribution to the CIOB’s approach to this focused theme.