Weekly Policy Update |
up to Friday 19th September 2025
Information provided by National Constructing Excellence
Government announcements
Strategic priorities for Great British Energy confirm government focus on community energy
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero published its statement of strategic priorities for Great British Energy, the publicly owned body tasked with taking forward the government’s ambition for delivering zero carbon electricity by 2030. The document prioritises investment in new technology, development of supply chains and supporting the growth of local and community energy working alongside government to deliver the Local Power Plan. Community energy projects are owned, controlled, or directly benefit local communities and, since coming to power, the current government has taken a number of policy steps to support growth of these initiatives.
New Housing Secretary issues ‘call to arms’ to unlock housebuilding
Steve Reed MP, who has replaced Angela Rayner as Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government, has issued a ‘call to arms’ to developers to meet the government’s 1.5 million new homes target. Reed met with leading developers and housebuilders at a roundtable held this week.
Regulator of Social Housing emphasises data and tenant safety
The Regulator of Social Housing has published its annual review of regulatory casework, highlighting recurring themes from its investigations. Key points include that landlords should “keep robust data on the safety and quality of tenants’ homes” and “demonstrate that tenants are safe in their homes.”
Phase 4 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme – projects awarded funding
DESNZ published a notice listing grant allocations of Phase 4 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme – the funding scheme for low carbon improvements to public buildings in which £633m has so far been allocated.
New requirements on companies to plan their transition to net zero
Three government consultations are underway:
- The first covers transition planning – a planned requirement on large companies to set trajectories for how they will decarbonise their businesses.
- Second, the government is also planning a new reporting framework, based on the international financial reporting sustainability standards for large companies reporting on climate- and sustainability-related risk.
- Third, there are plans for a new assurance of sustainability reporting system for professionals who help produce these reports.
Other relevant developments
How important is the built environment sector to the UK economy?
A new report states that the UK’s built environment sector – including architecture, planning, construction, manufacturing, real estate and consultancy – contributes 24% of the country’s total Gross Value Added (GVA) with 12% of the UK workforce, or 3.8 million people, employed in the sector. GVA measures how much real economic value an industry creates, less the cost of materials and supplies. The report, produced by New London Architecture working with GLA Economics and LSE, claims this is the first time the calculation has been undertaken.
The sector is not without its challenges: in July, Constructing Excellence (with Pinsent Masons) brought together construction industry leaders who identified that progress in improving productivity in construction lags behind the rest of the economy. Meanwhile, the latest, 2024 data from UK Government estimates that buildings are responsible for around 20% of UK greenhouse gas emissions (and that’s direct emissions only, excluding electricity used in buildings, as well as embodied carbon).
RICS unveils draft AI standard for surveyors
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published the first global professional standard for the responsible use of artificial intelligence in the surveying sector.
Plan for new global standards for carbon accounting
International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) have announced a new strategic partnership to deliver unified global standards for carbon accounting, stating that “Until now, GHG standards have been developed separately with varying scopes and verification guidance. The new ISO–GHG Protocol partnership… will produce a common global language for emissions accounting.”
In the news
Inside Housing – Home – BRE appoints UN advisor to top job
RAAC found at another hospital as NHS looks to remove all material | Construction News
Rachel Reeves hires planning lawyer to speed up big infrastructure projects
“No-go zone” warning as London housing grinds to a halt | Construction Enquirer News
ISG subbies to start class action over failed project bank accounts | Construction Enquirer News