Our Work
Welcome to our work hub, here you can explore all of our key programmatic work streams.
At UKGBC, our mission is to radically improve the sustainability of the built environment by uniting the UK building industry in transforming the way it is planned, designed, constructed, operated and repurposed. We are working towards a built environment that enables people and the planet to thrive, using sustainability as a catalyst to drive the transformational shift in the way the built environment works that is needed to meet industry ambition and targets.
To achieve this mission, we need to look at the following fundamental areas:
Key areas of work
Climate Change Mitigation
We are in a decisive decade for climate action and with a decreasing number of years left to achieve 2030 climate targets, radical and rapid transformation from businesses and the global economy is essential.
Climate Change Adaptation
As the climate crisis intensifies and extreme weather events become more common, the UK’s buildings, cities and critical infrastructure, and the communities that use and occupy these, are in increasing danger. It’s vital to address how our buildings and infrastructure can be adapted to remain fit for the future.
Nature
Nature is in crisis. The built environment has a critical role to play in protecting and restoring nature and moving to a regenerative model of development.
Resource Use
In the UK, construction, demolition and excavation account for 60% of material use and waste generation. Meanwhile, prices of construction materials in the UK rose by 4.9% between 2017 and 2018. Adopting circular economy principles offers a €1.8 trillion opportunity to the EU between 2015 and 2030.
Health, Wellbeing and Social Value
UKGBC believes that a sustainable built environment must help and support people and communities to thrive.
Home Retrofit
With time running out to keep global temperatures to 1.5 degrees, upgrading the nation’s homes is one of the biggest opportunities the UK has to reduce carbon emissions whilst tackling the cost-of-living crisis, energy security and levelling up.
Systems Change
Our approach to addressing the climate emergency is falling short. We need radical transformation of the systems we operate within to achieve not only a sustainable built environment, but one that positively restores and revitalises the world around us. We must challenge our assumptions and business-as-usual practices, and enable a dramatic paradigm shift that reconciles humans and the rest of nature.
How do we deliver impact?
Explore UKGBC’s plans
UKGBC’s 2025 Strategy
The UKGBC 2025 Strategy sets out a shared industry ambition and industry targets which indicate what must be achieved by 2025.
Get involved with our work
Future opportunity
Race To Zero
As an Accelerator to the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign, UKGBC calls on all its members to make strong and credible science-based climate commitments, and to take immediate action towards net zero carbon.
Ongoing Challenge
Future opportunity
UKGBC Local Networks: Birmingham, Bristol, London & Manchester
UKGBC is committed to quarterly events in (each of) Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester, working with our members in those cities to support thriving UKGBC local networks and develop an engagement model that can be expanded across the UK.
Ongoing Local Area Networks
Future opportunity
WorldGBC Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment
The WorldGBC Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment (the Commitment) challenges companies, cities, states and regions to reach net zero building emissions in their portfolios…
Ongoing Share knowledge
Future opportunity
Circular Economy Forum
UKGBC is bringing together construction clients and project teams who are applying circular principles on live projects and are looking to share challenges and solutions.
Ongoing Forum
