Labour’s plan to deliver higher annual housebuilding volumes is at risk as brick manufacturers warn that high gas and electricity costs could curtail kiln operations and capacity. A construction trade union is calling for targeted energy support for UK brickworks, where continuous-firing kilns and dryers are exposed to volatile wholesale prices and carbon costs. Any reduction in domestic brick output could lengthen programme durations, increase reliance on imports with longer lead times, and complicate cost planning for masonry-heavy schemes.

Doka has earned an EcoVadis Silver rating in the 2026 assessment, placing the formwork and scaffolding specialist in the top 15% of more than 150,000 rated companies and scoring 91/100 in the environmental category. The company is targeting net zero by 2040 through expanded on-site photovoltaics, fleet electrification and value-chain emission cuts, backed by Science Based Targets initiative commitments. For contractors, Doka’s rental-based circular model, refurbishment services, Xlife top formwork sheet with recycled content, and product carbon footprint data for over 7,000 items offer practical levers to reduce project embodied carbon.

Australia’s asphalt sector, led by guidance from the Australian Flexible Pavements Association (AfPA) and Projects Technical Advisor Trevor Distin, is pushing performance-based mix design to exploit asphalt’s 100 per cent recyclability and cut pavement carbon. Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) is being reprocessed into new surface and base courses, with higher RAP contents enabled by rejuvenators, tighter binder grading and improved plant controls. For designers and asset owners, the shift means specifying functional performance (rutting, fatigue, texture, skid resistance) and lifecycle cost rather than prescriptive mix recipes.