MPs on the House of Commons public accounts committee have urged ministers to refer the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) insulation scandal to the Serious Fraud Office after the National Audit Office found 98% of external and 29% of internal wall insulation installed by mid‑January 2025 was defective. Ofgem has so far identified fraudulent installations worth 1.75% of scheme value, but PAC members believe actual fraud is far higher, citing systemic failure across DESNZ, TrustMark and UKAS, and a fragmented quality-assurance regime. The committee warns that the new Warm Homes Plan, expected to scale up measures such as solar PV and further retrofit, must be backed by far tighter technical oversight and accountability to avoid repeating these failures.

Government policy is set to dominate mining investment in 2026, with 47% of respondents to White & Case’s Mining & Metals 2026 survey citing political variables and nearly 40% expecting state‑backed financing to be the main tool in developed markets. Some 73% foresee widening divergence between US and Chinese critical minerals policy, while a funding gap between the US and Europe is seen as a key opportunity, alongside risks of over‑expansion and a two‑to‑three‑year “gold rush” bubble. Copper and gold are viewed as the “sure bet” price risers, with gold miners seen as prime consolidation targets and strategic partnerships favoured over traditional M&A.

Sustainability reporting in construction is described as fragmented and inconsistent, with project disclosures difficult to compare and data quality varying widely across contractors and asset owners. This patchwork approach is exposing schemes to reputational, regulatory and operational risk, particularly as clients demand verifiable carbon footprints, lifecycle assessments and supply chain traceability aligned with frameworks such as the GHG Protocol and EU taxonomy. For geotechnical and civil engineers, the direction of travel points to standardised metrics on embodied carbon in concrete and steel, site energy use and materials sourcing becoming routine contract requirements.