Sustainability in construction has moved from a niche consideration to a mainstream expectation, and most professionals agree on what it takes to measure it
Consistently delivering sustainability in construction, project after project, is proving much harder, according to the NBS Sustainable Futures Report 2026: The state of sustainability across the construction lifecycle.
Dr Lee Jones, head of sustainability at Hubexo, NBS’ parent company, explained: “The conversation around sustainable construction is evolving. Awareness of embodied carbon, lifecycle assessment and Environmental Product Declarations has grown.
“But many organisations still lack the skills, processes, and data they need to measure their impacts and track progress, and the gap between ambition and implementation remains clear.”
Well-written specifications matter for sustainability outcomes
Specification is the clearest point of agreement, with more than eight in ten respondents (86%) expressing that a well-written specification matters for sustainable outcomes.
75% of respondents said lifecycle assessment matters, suggesting whole-life thinking is now widely accepted across the industry.
However, the study finds that day-to-day practice is less consistent. Only around half (53%) measure and report on sustainability across all or most of their projects, and just under half (48%) say their intended outcomes are achieved always or frequently.
“Decisions made early on and during the design stage have a profound influence on how a building performs, which is why a rigorous specification is important for sustainable outcomes. But specification is only as good as the data behind it,” Jones commented.
“The industry needs to work more closely than ever to ensure project teams have transparent, verified product information. It is at different stages, and there’s no single fix. Progress depends on better information, more consistent measurement and closer collaboration.”
What are some of the barriers to measuring sustainability in construction?
The barriers are practical ones. Cost tops the list (60%), followed by a lack of client demand (42%), sustainable products being value-engineered out (32%) and a shortage of people with the right skills (25%).
Respondents see clients as the most influential group on a project (68%), yet client demand is the second-biggest barrier to delivering sustainable outcomes.
Moreover, only 42% of professionals named a regular, trusted source of sustainability data. That means well over half the industry (58%) needs a source to rely on. Since the last report, AI search is now referenced in around 14% of responses.
In the previous Sustainable Futures study, AI didn’t feature at all, showing how quickly this topic has moved up the agenda. The rising influence of AI makes it a natural place to look for general information, but this carries the real risk of unverified data reaching specification decisions.
Demand for better product data is clear. Most respondents (83%) want manufacturers to provide more sustainability performance data, and 43% look for EPDs when selecting products.
Dr Stephen Hamil, Innovation Director at Hubexo, said: “Our Sustainable Futures study tracks how those designing and specifying buildings, alongside the manufacturers supplying the products and materials, are responding to the sustainability challenge. It’s clear the conversation has moved on.
Those making specification decisions increasingly understand what more sustainable choices look like, while manufacturers recognise the need to provide the products, information and evidence to support them. The challenge now is turning that understanding into action.”
