The 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) has just begun in Antalya, Türkiye, bringing together world leaders, businesses and organisations to agree the next steps in tackling climate change.
This year’s conference places particular emphasis on turning climate commitments into practical solutions that make a real-world difference. So, over the next two weeks, we’re likely to hear plenty about the UN’s Global Climate Action Agenda, which brings together governments, businesses and communities to accelerate progress on climate action.
In this week’s blog, we explain each of the six priorities and explore how they relate to the construction industry.
Last week, the UK Chancellor delivered the Autumn Budget, announcing a range of measures aimed at supporting economic growth, increasing housing supply and easing financial pressures on households and businesses.
For the construction industry, the announcements bring a mixture of potential opportunities and ongoing challenges. From helping first-time buyers and encouraging housebuilding to changes in regulations, apprenticeships and employment costs, there is plenty for the sector to consider. Keep reading as we explore five areas worth watching.
Every construction project depends on a complex supply chain, from the manufacturers producing building materials to the suppliers delivering them and the specialist contractors carrying out the work.
But when choosing who to work with and what products to purchase, should decisions be based solely on price, availability and quality? Or should we also be thinking about the wider environmental, economic and social impacts of those choices?
As responsible procurement becomes an increasingly important consideration across the construction industry, read on to find out what this means in practice, why it matters and how we’re working to embed these principles at Sheriff.
We all know places that have a particular character. Streets, buildings and neighbourhoods that are instantly recognisable, feel connected to their surroundings and somehow make us feel good about being there.
But as the UK looks to build more homes, regenerate towns and cities and invest in new infrastructure, how do we make sure we’re creating places people will value – rather than simply buildings that fulfil an immediate need?
That’s the question being raised by Humanise, a campaign calling for an end to what it describes as the growing “blandification” of our towns and cities. Read on for our exploration of what makes somewhere feel like a ‘place of pride’ rather than simply a collection of buildings – and what role the construction and development industry can play.