New Term, Fresh Start: What we need from the new government’s first year

September is here and Westminster’s summer break is drawing to a close. But this year, MPs aren’t just returning to the same old classroom, they’re walking into a new school entirely. New headteacher, new timetable, new curriculum. With the Prime Minister settling into No.10 and a fresh ministerial team taking their seats, the political landscape has shifted.

This year’s tests will be big: Burnham’s government needs to show it can deliver on warm homes, on resilient places, on energy affordability, and on the regeneration of communities. So as Parliament returns for a new term, here’s what’s changing, and how UKGBC and our members can prepare the new Cabinet to pass the year ahead.

A new headteacher means a new focus

Andy Burnham’s arrival marks a clear pivot in political philosophy – a whole new school development plan with a fresh set of expectations on the noticeboard. This government:

  • Prioritises public impact and visible interventions
  • Sees housing as an essential service
  • Champions devolved power, and local leadership.
  • Frames net zero through affordability

For our sector, that means demonstrating how the built environment can revive places, reduce bills, create jobs, and strengthen local resilience. Fortunately, UKGBC and our members have already done the homework, and the critical thinking. We’ve been preparing the revision guides, the worked examples, and the model answers that this new government will need.

 

Warm Homes Plan: The year’s biggest exam

Starmer’s government set the strategy; this next government must deliver it. UKGBC will be advocating for place‑based delivery models, long‑term investment certainty, and resilience measures that protect households year‑round. With energy bills still a central political concern, this is where action will matter most.

Places, devolution and local construction

The Prime Minister’s team wants regeneration that is community‑led and economically transformative. Our upcoming Regenerative Places Framework for Housing is essentially the core textbook: a ready‑made blueprint showing how national policy can empower local delivery, with case studies to demonstrate how place-based approaches are already revitalising local areas.

Energy systems, grid upgrades and heat decarbonisation

With the Energy Independence Bill on the timetable and energy affordability a political priority, this year is critical for grid readiness, electrification and heat decarbonisation. Our upcoming Energy Infrastructure Distribution Systems (EIDS) work gives us strong foundations to influence DESNZ on system‑wide coordination and the role the built environment must play. We’ll be looking out for reforms to electricity pricing and energy infrastructure planning, and will continue pushing for clear delivery strategies to ensure home energy efficiency upgrades will be supported at scale.

Nature‑positive development and climate resilience

Nature recovery and wider resilience measures must be embedded across planning, retrofit and new build. Our Nature-Positive Framework and UK Climate Resilience Roadmap set out exactly what needs to change, primarily a national adaptation strategy which matches the scale of the climate risks that communities have faced this summer in heatwaves and wildfires. With the government focused on public benefit and community impact, this is a moment to show how nature recovery and resilience deliver tangible improvements to people’s lives.

Embodied carbon, circularity and the Future Homes & Buildings Standard

UKGBC will be advocating for a clear plan for embodied carbon limits, whole‑life carbon measurement, and circular construction. The Future Homes and Buildings Standard provides a good foundation with mandatory solar, no new gas boilers, improved efficiency, but embodied carbon and climate resilience must be addressed.

if you want to deliver lower bills, better homes, thriving places and resilient communities, the built environment is your biggest lever.

A new curriculum with big opportunities

The legislative timetable is already taking shape, and will demand close attention from UKGBC and our members. Our message to government this year is simple: if you want to deliver lower bills, better homes, thriving places and resilient communities, the built environment is your biggest lever – and we’re ready to help you use it.

So sharpen your pencils, grab your new timetable, and let’s get to work. The year ahead is full of potential, and we intend to make the most of it.

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