Sustainability – Part 1: What does sustainability mean in the construction industry?

In construction projects, sustainability should be defined through clear project outcomes. At a basic level, this means achieving compliance with national building regulations, including energy efficiency requirements. However, there are a host of other factors relating to broader sustainability that go beyond energy use and carbon emissions.

A project may go further in reducing energy use, such as by meeting a voluntary standard like Passivhaus. This can deliver other positive outcomes, like a higher standard of comfort and indoor air quality. Then there are examples of other, even broader goals: net zero carbon (the definition of which can be debated), conserving other resources (e.g. water) or positively contributing to biodiversity.

Construction projects should only be considered sustainable if a clear, project-specific definition of sustainability is established as part of the brief. The finished building must then be monitored and assessed against that definition to demonstrate that the desired outcome is being achieved. Intending some level of sustainability on paper is one thing, but it has to be met in reality.

How is sustainability defined generally?

To understand more about what sustainability might mean for the construction industry specifically, it can help to first ‘zoom out’ and examine the broader picture.

As alluded to in the introduction to this post, definitions of sustainability can cover a broad range of social and environmental issues, or be narrowed to suit particular circumstances.

The UN Brundtland Commission defined sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

First written in 1987, this definition is still widely quoted today.

What are the UN sustainable development goals?

In 2015, the United Nations adopted seventeen sustainable development goals (SDGs), aimed at tackling poverty and protecting the planet.

There are complex interactions between the different SDGs, where action to tackle one influences outcomes for the other sixteen – and not necessarily positively.

This demonstrates how, to be considered sustainable, development must balance social, economic and environmental factors. When it comes to construction, such a balance is more likely to be struck if sustainability goals are established at the start of a project.

Agreeing measurable, project-specific targets for energy, carbon, resources, biodiversity and social value is essential, especially when using recognised frameworks and standards to guide the setting.

Where does construction activity fit with the UN sustainable development goals?

The eleventh SDG is ‘Sustainable cities and communities’, which the majority of construction activity could be said to fall under.

For example, our thermal insulation can contribute to making buildings healthier, more comfortable, and more efficient. But how useful is that energy efficiency if a project doesn’t satisfactorily contribute to local needs, or help to create a community capable of thriving?

A housing estate can be full of properties that enjoy low energy bills and which contribute relatively little to carbon emissions. But if that housing estate does not have community facilities to create a sense of place, or encourages an over-dependency on cars, is it a sustainable development?

If a project’s sustainability goals are clearly defined from the outset, then the next step is to ensure they’re protected as the project progresses. This can take the form of robust specifications and clear performance criteria. It can also involve challenging the supply chain and working with suppliers who understand and embrace the stated goals.

What is a good next step for better sustainability in construction?

Let’s accept, for the moment, that carbon emissions are the primary measure by which the construction industry’s output is judged in terms of sustainability.

Increasingly, projects take account of more than just the carbon emitted due to the operation of buildings. Construction activity consumes resources (SDG 12: ‘Responsible consumption and production’) and, as part of human activity generally, contributes to climate change (SDG 13: ‘Climate action’).

“Embodied carbon is not currently regulated, but industry initiatives exist to support projects in meeting low carbon goals,” said Rob Firman, Technical and Specification Manufacturer at Polyfoam XPS. “Perhaps the most notable is the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard (UKNZCBS), a pilot version of which was launched in 2024.”

The launch of the UKNZCBS shows the importance of being able to verify outcomes once a building is complete and in-use. Closing performance gaps and improving future projects can only be done through monitoring building performance, comparing the results to the original targets, and collecting user feedback.

Transitioning away from the linear economy

Designing buildings with a 60-to-100-year lifespan, demolishing them and creating waste, then building again from scratch is the linear economy in action. The linear economy is incompatible with a sustainable, net zero future that prioritises efficient use of the limited resources available to us and minimises negative biodiversity impacts.

As such, a growing number of projects are seeking to limit the embodied carbon associated with:

• product manufacture;
• on site construction activities;
• maintenance and repair over the life of the building; and
• what happens to a building at the end of its useful life.

As a construction product manufacturer, there is little we can do to influence the placemaking aspects of architecture, which are established in the earliest stages of a project. What we can do is show the ways our products can help to meet more demanding specifications that take these life cycle stages into consideration.

What to do next

One of the key information sources that construction product manufacturers can offer to designers, specifiers and contractors is environmental product declarations (EPDs). Visit our technical support page to download our available EPDs, or contact us to learn more about our EPDs and how they can support your project’s lower carbon goals.

Through a whole life carbon approach, the ultimate aim is to move towards greater adoption of the circular economy within the construction industry. With that in mind, the second of our blog posts on this subject will look at resource use and the role that extruded polystyrene (XPS) can play in the circular economy.

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April 2026 note: this blog post is based on content written for the first edition of The Polyfoam Orange Book of XPS Insulation, our comprehensive guide to extruded polystyrene (XPS) published in March 2026. Written for designers, specifiers and contractors, you can learn more about the book, including how to request a copy, here.