RICS has launched CLEAR – the Coalition for Life Cycle Emissions Alignment and Reporting – at the Sustainable Buildings and Construction Summit in Lausanne to harmonise whole-life carbon measurement across the global built environment. Co-founded with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the Global Building Data Initiative, and sponsored by Autodesk, CLEAR will analyse existing methodologies, resolve inconsistencies and create a globally applicable assessment and reporting framework. The coalition, involving firms such as AECOM, Arcadis, Heidelberg Materials and Morgan Sindall, will provide practical tools, technical resources and an online platform to standardise carbon data for design, procurement and asset management decisions.

The government's new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) aims to cut energy costs for energy‑intensive sectors, including steelmaking and concrete production, which are heavily exposed to electricity and gas price volatility. MPs welcomed potential relief for UK rebar, plate and cement kilns competing with lower‑cost European producers but raised concerns over the scheme’s duration, eligibility thresholds and interaction with existing carbon pricing. For civil and structural projects, any sustained reduction in steel and cement input costs could materially affect tender pricing and long‑term framework budgets.

A cross‑party committee of MPs has opened an inquiry into how HM Treasury shapes UK policy on climate change, biodiversity loss and wider sustainability, with a focus on fiscal rules, spending decisions and carbon‑related taxation. The probe is expected to scrutinise how Treasury guidance such as the Green Book, discount rates and cost‑benefit assumptions influence approval of major infrastructure, including flood defences, transport schemes and energy projects. Outcomes could affect how whole‑life carbon, nature‑based solutions and climate resilience are valued in future project appraisals and public investment pipelines.