65% of Brits wish they were more sustainable as government expected to lead progress

While the government top the list for being responsible for sustainability, the survey of 2,000 adults also found over half of Brits (54%) say businesses must play a key role.

The research also found that whilst 88% understand how important it is to look after the planet, nearly half of Brits (48%) rate their knowledge of sustainability as ‘average’ and 23 per cent wouldn’t be confident knowing how to incorporate it into their daily lives.

The findings come following recent announcements around the Spring Statement targeting sustainable construction and infrastructure growth, including new social housing, road improvement, construction skills and infrastructure projects like the Lower Thames Crossing.

Holcim UK is highlighting how the public’s reported lack of influence and understanding around sustainability reinforces the need for government and industry to work closer together to make a success of these policies.

The study also found that only 41% of Brits believe UK towns and cities are built sustainably, despite 82% advocating for more access to green spaces.

Construction, along with the energy and fashion industries, is among the top sectors perceived as needing to improve their environmental impact. Just under half (45%) of those surveyed believe the construction sector should be more sustainable. Additionally, 80% of respondents want companies to be more transparent about their sustainability policies.

As its research has revealed the public turning to the government and construction industry to drive forward sustainability, Holcim UK is encouraging the government work closely with the construction industry to address challenges.

The organisation is also warning targets may be missed if policy and funding only focuses on addressing barriers and sector challenges in silos.

Lee Sleight, CEO at Holcim UK, said: “It’s clear from our research that while many people recognise the importance of sustainability, the public is looking to government and businesses to drive forward sustainability in our daily lives. For construction, this means it is more important than ever for our industry and the government to work together to address the challenges we face in our sector so we can deliver on the ambitious targets for sustainable construction. Funding and policy will only be successful if we look at the entire picture to address all of these at once. Staying in silos and trying to solve barriers individually will risk only finding quick fixes and not long term, sustainable solutions.

“At Holcim UK we’re on a journey to make sustainable construction a reality across the length and breadth of the nation. Our research proves that we need to make sustainability more accessible, practical, and visible to everyone. With our renewed strategic direction, we will not only be able to reduce our environmental impact and make positive change as a business but be a trusted partner to our customers and government as they aim to do the same.”

Alongside a target to accelerate green growth, Holcim UK is committed to expanding the uptake of sustainable building materials in the UK. Key to this will be circular product innovation through the increased use of construction demolition materials (CDM), targeting an increase of CDM used in products from 2m tonnes to more than 5m tonnes by 2030.

Working closely in partnership with construction industry, local authorities and central government, the company is ensuring that housebuilding, roads and infrastructure projects like those receiving new funding deliver safe and sustainable places for communities across the UK.

To support them with this, Holcim UK has launches a new report, Making Sustainable Construction a Reality, which aims to provide a roadmap for making sustainable construction a reality through areas such as decarbonisation, circularity, smart construction, people and communities, and nature and biodiversity

To find out more about Holcim UK or to read the report, visit www.holcim.co.uk