Buildings are a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions – equating in the UK to about 40% of the country’s total carbon footprint. A significant proportion of those emissions are generated by the materials used in construction. 

In response to our call for industry experts to suggest ways that the sector can tackle the problem of climate change, a number of the proposals centred on how best to manage the materials-related issues.

These include material passports, energy performance stickers for materials, and strengthening sustainability certification – as well as a call to stop using virgin materials altogether, and a plea not to ignore traditional materials that can sometimes be greener than more modern options.

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