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The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) 2024 Sustainability Report has found that while the UK has made some strides in carbon reduction across buildings and infrastructure, further action is needed to meet national and global climate goals.
To accelerate progress, RICS advocates for a comprehensive sustainability approach that includes evidence-based targets, mandatory carbon assessments (such as WLCA) for all new projects, and enhanced training for built environment professionals. The report also recommends that policymakers set clear, national targets to aid decarbonisation, alongside the enforcement of minimum energy performance standards, building codes, and climate resilience benchmarks.
According to the report, in the UK, 31 per cent of respondents said a lack of government incentives and policy uncertainty are a main barrier preventing the widespread adoption of sustainable practices across the industry.
Other factors cited were high initial costs of green building practices and the high costs of sustainable materials. However, on a more positive note, 22 per cent of respondents stated that they measure biodiversity on all projects, while 31 per cent measure it on more than 50 per cent of projects, which are some of the highest figures globally.
These figures could also increase further in the coming years due to the UK’s recent biodiversity net gain legislation, requiring developers improve the biodiversity of their sites by a minimum of 10 per cent. The regulation became mandatory in February 2024 and is expected to extend to include major infrastructure projects in 2025.
RICS President, Tina Paillet, commented:
“Last year, I described the RICS Sustainability Report as a wake-up call to our industry, pointing out that our progress on sustainability was lagging behind what is required. Despite that, I expressed confidence that the 2050 net-zero target was still within reach, if we pursued it wholeheartedly. This year’s report, however, suggests that the level of commitment necessary to meet these goals is still lacking, presenting a mixed but underwhelming picture overall.
“Credible policy interventions are essential, and regulation remains a significant factor driving green real estate investment and shaping construction practices. RICS will continue to champion effective regulation and the adoption of common standards across jurisdictions to simplify processes, ensure a level playing field, and ultimately drive meaningful progress on climate goals.”
