​Decarbonising the Built Environment - New Skills Needed for a Green Future

The built environment industry is at the forefront of the UK's climate change initiatives, but recent reports show that the sector is starting to fall behind on the path to net zero. A 13% reduction over the last four years falls very short of the 19%-target that would meet our 2050 net-zero goals.

This is happening for several reasons, most significantly the skills shortage in the industry meaning that there are less professionals equipped for the task of delivering energy-efficient buildings and implementing sustainable practices.

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To combat the industry falling short of target, in September 2024, the government introduced the UK's first cross-industry standard for net-zero buildings, called the Net Zero Carbon Building Standard. This legislation, while necessitating even more expertise than before, provides clear metrics to ensure buildings contribute minimally to climate change, with regulations such as an embodied carbon limit of 430kg per square meter of houses built in 2025, nearly half the typical emissions under current regulations. Buildings must also generate a significant portion of their energy on-site and exclude fossil fuels, which will be excellent for reducing electricity costs and precipitate UK energy independence.

Such initiatives will bring about a large amount of new positions focused on implementing sustainable practices across various built environment sectors. Some of these key roles will include environmental consultants, energy modellers, sustainability officers, carbon accountants, retrofit coordinators and material scientists. As well as these emerging roles, existing positions will need to be upskilled in order to maintain compliance with the new regulations. Areas for training will include carbon lifecycle assessments, low-carbon design principles, renewable energy integration in buildings, and use of digital tools to track energy efficiency.

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To make this transition, there needs to be a collaborative approach between government, industry and education. Universities and apprenticeship providers must update their materials to ensure graduates are equipped with the sustainability knowledge they need, while the government should provide subsidies for green skills training to accelerate workforce transformation and add incentives to reward companies who meet their targets. Ultimately, it's down to the industry to meet the targets set by the government, as sustainability has become a strategic imperative rather than a choice.

At Carrington West, we're already proud to be connecting forward-thinking employers with the talent needed to build their sustainable futures, and the changes are already taking force with so many jobs now either offering sustainable practices training or requiring previous experience of it. As the sector adapts to meet decarbonisation goals, the recruitment landscape will play a pivotal role in shaping a greener, more resilient built environment.