{"id":159010,"date":"2026-02-04T11:51:40","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T11:51:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?post_type=publication&p=159010"},"modified":"2026-02-04T11:51:40","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T11:51:40","slug":"pbc-today-feb-2026","status":"publish","type":"publication","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/publication\/pbc-today-feb-2026\/159010\/","title":{"rendered":"PBC Today Feb 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to PBC Today. In this edition, our first of 2026 and something of a landmark as our 50th overall, our expert contributors look at everything from the development of the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings standard and the retrofit skills challenge to the changing face of building safety regulations and the UK\u2019s AI readiness.<\/h2>\n

Katie Clemence-Jackson discusses the development of the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, the UK\u2019s first cross-industry standard for net zero carbon aligned buildings, ahead of its official launch this year.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Stephen Tracey, chair of the National Home Decarbonisation Group\u2019s Green Skills Working Group, examines the skills gap that threatens to undermine the retrofit sector\u2019s important role in helping to achieve net zero heating and building targets by 2050.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, Mark Furlonger, senior director at Ramboll, provides his perspective on the government\u2019s proposed overhaul of the National Planning Policy Framework, examining how the changes aim to reduce delays, increase certainty and reshape the planning system.<\/p>\n

Richard Harral, chief executive officer at the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE), looks at the shift to competency-based systems for delivering safer outcomes in the built environment, while Stephen Workman of AtkinsR\u00e9alis examines concerns over the longer-term structure of building safety regulation.<\/p>\n

Simon Lewis, partner in the construction and engineering team at Womble Bond Dickinson and nima senior vicechair, reflects on the impact of BIM in construction<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Finally, Modular & Portable Building Association development director Richard Hipkiss guides us through its new Roadmap to Net Zero, which aims to position modular construction at the forefront of the UK\u2019s low carbon future.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a selection of what\u2019s in store in 2026’s first edition of PBC Today:<\/p>\n

1. A collective endeavour: The making of the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard<\/a><\/h3>\n

The UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard is the UK\u2019s first cross-industry standard for net zero carbon aligned buildings. A pilot version was published in 2024 and, following pilot testing in 2025, the full Version 1 is launching early this year.<\/p>\n

2. New year, new planning policy: The biggest driver for planning applications.<\/a><\/h3>\n

Mark Furlonger, senior director at Ramboll, provides his perspective on the government\u2019s proposed overhaul of the National Planning Policy Framework, examining how the changes aim to reduce delays, increase certainty and reshape the planning system.<\/p>\n

3. Building safer outcomes, not just better buildings<\/a><\/h3>\n

Richard Harral, chief executive officer at the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE), on the shift to competency-based systems for delivering safer outcomes in the built environment.<\/p>\n

4. Building safety\u2019s next phase: Why Gateway 3 and the single regulator will define 2026<\/a><\/h3>\n

Following a flurry of building safety announcements at the end of 2025, Stephen Workman of AtkinsR\u00e9alis examines concerns over Gateway 3 and the longer-term structure of regulation.<\/p>\n

5. The changing case for sustainability<\/a><\/h3>\n

The need to accelerate progress on climate change has never been more urgent, and yet strong headwinds over the past year have delivered a clear moment of risk to the transition, as the political landscape in the UK and internationally has shifted, writes Amanda Williams, head of environmental sustainability at the Chartered Institute of Building.<\/p>\n

6. The environment as a design constraint \u2013 or taking responsibility as professionals<\/a><\/h3>\n

Many of the causes of climate change are beyond the scope of building design but changing the way we procure, design and construct buildings shouldn\u2019t be \u2013 and the hard truth is the built environment has failed on embedding sustainability for too long, writes Chris Halligan MCIAT CEnv.<\/p>\n

7. Threads of change: The evolution and future of BIM<\/a><\/h3>\n

Simon Lewis, partner in the construction and engineering team at Womble Bond Dickinson, and nima senior vice-chair, reflects on the impact of BIM in construction.<\/p>\n

8. Identifying risks in construction with AI<\/a><\/h3>\n

Much of the talk around AI in construction has focused on anticipated productivity gains but arguably the greatest transformation could lie in how risk is identified, decisions are justified and responsibility is allocated, writes Mark Macaulay of Dentons.<\/p>\n

9. Why AI won\u2019t fix fragmented building data \u2013 and what asset owners must do first<\/a><\/h3>\n

Asset owners are increasingly turning to AI to improve building performance, compliance and safety, yet many are finding that technology alone is not enough. This article will explore how fragmented building information undermines AI\u2019s potential and the foundational steps asset owners must take before AI can succeed.<\/p>\n

10. MPBA: Leading the modular sector with a clear roadmap to net zero<\/a><\/h3>\n

MPBA development director Richard Hipkiss explains how the new Roadmap to Net Zero was developed, why it matters and how it positions modular construction at the forefront of the UK\u2019s low carbon future.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Join us for the first PBC Today of the year- and our fiftieth edition! February’s experts delve into retrofit, AI and reaching net zero.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":159015,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"publication_categories":[172610],"class_list":["post-159010","publication","type-publication","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPBC Today Feb 2026 | Construction Publications & Magazines<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Join us for the first PBC Today of the year- and our fiftieth edition! 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