Futurebuild 2025: Key Sustainability Takeaways 

The Verte team was on the ground at Futurebuild to explore the latest innovations in sustainable products and gain insights into how the industry is tackling complex sustainability issues. Here are our key takeaways from the event.

Retrofit

Retrofit continues to be a key focus for the industry, but we’re not making enough progress. Dr. Austin Entonu, Head of Net Zero Energy, GLA, highlighted that 65% of London’s emissions originate from buildings, emphasising the critical need for retrofitting. 

A major barrier is retrofit’s inherent complexity and to succeed we need policy shifts and incentives at an institutional level – the VAT exemption on New Construction and not Refurbishment projects being a case in point. 

Alastair Parvin, Director, Open Systems Lab, also called for a shift in the retrofit narrative to one that combines systems-based thinking with place-based solutions and demonstrated through case studies how localised strategies can deliver large-scale impact.

Decarbonisation

The UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard team shared a helpful update on the Pilot including work being done to implement the Standard and potential costs to meet it. There’s also still an opportunity to submit projects for existing buildings, data centres, hotels and healthcare – so any interested parties should get in touch. 

Meanwhile from an operational energy standpoint, it was agreed that we can’t rely on heat pumps alone for reducing carbon. Instead of a silver bullet, a toolbox of innovation will be needed. Electricity pricing also needs to change, otherwise it will prove impossible to force a move away from gas.

EPC Reform

Major change is needed. The current EPC 10-year timeframe is too long, preventing real progress on reducing operational carbon. Focusing on updating building stock to EPC B will only push the problem out.

Circular Economy

This is a major focus with renewed momentum thanks to an increasing number of market players investing in new platforms and developing their own that drive the reuse of materials across the industry. 

It was great to hear from experts on how the circular economy will evolve in the next 5-10 years with Katerina Papavasileiou, Director, ESG and Responsibility, Federated Homes, anticipating an increased focus on integrating biodiversity, with more approaches that value natural systems and Brogan MacDonald, Head of Sustainability in Building Structures, Ramboll pointing to future standards being developed that mandate reuse to meet environmental benchmarks. 

Driving regenerative design is the industry’s increased focus on embodied carbon, but to accelerate progress we need to look beyond carbon alone and more is needed from a policy perspective, as there is still a lack of comprehensive circular economy policies. 

A Nature-Positive Future

The UK Green Building Council delivered an important session on the built environment’s role in achieving a nature-positive future, focusing on reducing embodied ecological impacts from materials. 

This revealed there’s currently a gap in industry-wide definitions of nature-positive and how to measure impact, but that regulatory shifts may start pushing this into project requirements – which would be welcome.

Sustainable Product Round-Up

As sustainability consultants we’re constantly investigating innovative products that look to reduce carbon and make the circular economy a reality. Here’s the solutions that stood out to us at this year’s event as ones to watch: 

Adaptavate – developing carbon-negative construction materials as a form of Carbon Capture and Utilisation. Breathaboard is a carbon-negative, lighter alternative to plasterboard, with enhanced thermal performance and compostability at end of life; and Breathaplasta – a fast-setting, natural alternative to cement-based plasters.

Agreka Build – collaborates with farmers to transform agricultural waste, particularly wheat straw, into sustainable building materials. Flagship product, WHEATEX, is a thermal and acoustic insulation made from 100% waste wheat straw. 

Barcham Trees – UK-based tree supplier with an eco-impact grading system (A–E) to quantify carbon offset potential. 

Bio-scapes – combined Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems and #BiodiversityNetGain (BNG) planters for managing rainwater run-off and BNG in compact spaces.

EcoCocon – modular, prefabricated straw and timber wall systems made of 98% natural renewable materials and cradle to cradle certified. The double wooden frame of the panels ensures the structural capacity of low-rise buildings and easily supports ceilings, roofs or facades. They also promote high indoor air quality with no harmful substances emitted, and reduce thermal bridging and increase air tightness when compared to traditional construction.

Prometheus Materials – ProZero Bio-Cement for Ready Mix Concrete is in development and one to watch. Offers a ready-mix concrete infused with Algae binders which proport to be zero CO₂ (excluding any reinforcement).

Reco – tile panels made from 100% recycled PVC or Acrylic ABS and can be a replacement for ceramic or porcelain tiles.

STROCKS from HG Matthews – circular earth building blocks – a low carbon solution for structural and insulating internal walls made from 100% natural materials.

Troldtekt (part of the Kingspan Group) – cement-bonded wood wool acoustic panels.

Thanks to the Futurebuild team for providing a platform for industry debate. The built environment cannot overcome complex sustainability challenges unless we tackle them directly, working together.

Additional contributions provided by the Verte team.