Laing O’Rourke has secured BSI certification to PAS 2080:2023 for carbon management in buildings and infrastructure, confirming its organisation-wide processes for assessing and reducing whole-life emissions. The updated PAS 2080:2023 specification extends beyond linear infrastructure to cover buildings and mandates value-chain collaboration, transparent governance and quantified carbon reduction pathways aligned with net-zero targets. For contractors and consultants, this signals that major Tier 1 clients may increasingly require verifiable PAS 2080-compliant carbon management on design, procurement and construction packages.

The BNG Federation accuses the UK government of breaking its promise to set a clear timetable for applying biodiversity net gain (BNG) rules to nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs), leaving major schemes in a “regulatory vacuum”. Developers of large highways, energy and rail projects currently lack certainty on when and how the statutory 10% BNG requirement will apply, complicating land acquisition, habitat design and long-term management plans. The federation warns that without a defined start date and guidance, DCO applications and environmental impact assessments risk delay and redesign.

Greenland’s government has issued a draft decision not to renew Energy Transition Minerals’ Kvanefjeld exploration licence, effectively blocking development of the planned mine–concentrator–refinery rare earths complex under the 2021 Uranium Act that bans uranium prospecting, exploration and exploitation. ETM argues the move is inconsistent with previous licence extensions granted after the Act and during ongoing legal challenges, warning it may deter critical minerals investment in Greenland amid US‑EU efforts to diversify away from Chinese supply. Despite securing Spanish foreign direct investment approval for acquiring the Penouta tin‑tantalum mine, ETM’s shares fell 7.4% to A$0.050, halving year‑to‑date.