Despite Britain’s reputation as a climate leader, the public has very little knowledge of how homes, workplaces and infrastructure can be built with a reduced footprint.
The Saint Gobain 2026 Sustainable Construction Barometer was published last month. An annual study of insights from citizens, construction firms, students, decision- and policymakers, the fourth edition casts the British public has largely unaware of climate-friendly building methods.
According to the construction giant’s analysis of its own research, 25% of UK adults said they knew what sustainable construction referred to, which is far below the 39% global average. This is particularly worrying given the country faces huge challenges in updating and upgrading existing building stock on insulation and energy terms, and calls for tighter environmental regulation around sectors such as housing are often considered controversial.
More than one-third of respondents focused on carbon neutrality when asked what sustainable construction means, around twice the global average. Home energy efficiency and the use of green construction materials ranked far lower on the agenda, with just 24% of people connecting the concepts to sustainability consecution. In continental Europe, this rises to 39% of those in the study.
Something of an oxymoron, in contrast to the lack of awareness, 94% of the British public said they were concerned about the environment and wanted to see more done to improve sustainability within building projects. Understanding, not willingness, is therefore the main obstacle to improving the footprint of the construction sector — which is necessary considering housing stock is amongst Europe’s least energy efficient, with signifiant implications for the health and finances of residents.
‘Sustainability in construction is about much more than just carbon savings,’ said Dean O’Sullivan, CEO of Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland. It leads to warmer homes, lower energy bills, better, healthier environments for people and buildings that perform over decades.
‘These findings show a clear gap between people’s concern about climate change and their understanding of what sustainable construction means in practice,’ he continued. ‘We need to help people see that sustainable construction delivers tangible benefits for everyday life, not just long-term climate targets. As an industry, we must make that story clearer, more accessible and more relevant.’
Image: Glenov Brankovic / Unsplash
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