Opinion

Richard Robinson is deputy co-chair of the Construction Leadership Council and chief executive of Atkins UK and Europe The built environment accounts for 43 per cent of UK carbon emissions. Without its contribution to the UK’s carbon-reduction efforts, the country will not meet its 2050 net-zero target. We know where…

Less than a year ago, all appeared rosy for Henry Construction Projects. The fast-expanding contractor sat at number 41 in the 2022 CN100 after making a profit of £14m on a turnover of £400m in the year to 30 June 2021. However, for those keeping an eye on the situation,…

Chris Ridge is technical policy manager at the Thermal Insulation Contractors Association and a TIPCHECK expert Thermal insulation is an often misunderstood and overlooked specialist trade, and the new, long-awaited update to the standards should be broadly welcomed by the construction sector. After all, thermal insulation of pipework and ductwork…

May Winfield is global director of commercial, legal and digital risks at Buro Happold It’s impossible to have missed the explosion of both excitement and availability of new generative AI-powered tools in recent months. The future of AI promises dramatic changes to the way we live and work. Generative AI tools…

Ian Barrow is a senior employee-experience consultant for survey provider WorkBuzz Salary is the easiest tool to harness when attracting talent, but a high pay packet simply won’t retain a workforce in the long run. Construction companies mustn’t compete on wages alone, and should instead listen to what their people…

Derryn Rolfe is a construction and engineering specialist at Roythornes Solicitors As fans of the hit TV series Succession will know, all companies need a strategy to safeguard their future – and the construction industry is no different. With foresight, contractors can avoid some of the common legal pitfalls and…

Sarah Clark is a partner at law firm BDB Pitmans  Having attended the All Energy and Dcarbonise conference in Glasgow in May, many conversations reflected the growing trend across UK professional services consultancies to secure for themselves a meaningful role in the renewable-energy sector.  Who can blame them? There is…

Jose Hernandez is director of sustainability and energy at consultancy Pick Everard The climate agenda remains a focus for the construction industry, marking one of the biggest challenges the sector has ever faced. Twenty-five per cent of the UK’s emissions are directly attributable to the built environment and we are…

Tom McNeill is a partner and health and safety regulatory specialist at BCL Solicitors Construction incidents resulting in fatalities, serious injuries or dangerous occurrences often trigger criminal regulatory investigations. These investigations have the potential to lead to prosecutions of organisations, directors, managers or other individuals. While organisations value their safety…

Felicity Zakers is an associate at law firm Browne Jacobson The government has recently announced further measures to protect national security by way of the Procurement Bill, which has reached the remaining report stages, with amendments being debated in Parliament this week. In addition to this bill, the increase in the…