CIOB policy chief Eddie Tuttle reflects on a busy 12 months across the built environment sector
Working in collaboration across the industry, collectively trying to tackle the big issues that face us all, 2025 has seen us and our sister professional bodies continue work to support professionalising the industry.
We have consistently made the case for a focus on quality, safety and competence and, looking back at 2025, here are a couple of the highlights that focused minds on the need for professionalism and quality.
In August, we published a new technical information sheet, titled Guide to Products Critical to Safe Construction, which is free to our members. The aim of this new guide is to provides designers, specifiers and installers with the information they need to make sound decisions when selecting crucial products and systems.
We hosted our fourth annual Sir James Wates lecture in September, with Mark Farmer delivering a talk which examined one of the industry’s emerging big issues: the potential impact of AI, with both opportunities for increased productivity and risks in losing experience and the human element.
Most recently, we hosted a parliamentary reception, presided over by CIOB president Paul Gandy.
Paul’s speech highlighted some of the successes we’ve had working in partnership, mentioning parliamentarians, industry bodies, employers – and giving a well-deserved shoutout to our Tomorrows’ Leaders community. As he said, it was an opportunity for MPs and “for industry leaders to meet the Tomorrows’ Leaders who will one day take their place”.
Significant achievements
There was also mention of how we’re delivering on our key themes, the first among them being safety and quality. Paul talked about the launch of the Principal Designer Competency Certification Scheme, which builds on the success of the Principal Contractor Scheme. He also discussed our part in procurement reform, with chartered members in Northern Ireland now being formally recognised in public sector procurement.
Our work to tackle the ‘skills challenge’ was advanced with the launch of Aspire, an initiative for 14- to 19-year-olds and career changers, helping to provide clear pathways into the sector.
Finally, there was our focus on sustainability and retrofit, with our Sustainable Construction conference, practical guidance on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and work across all the home nations to promote retrofit as a national priority.
It is heartening to look back on how much we achieved over the last year. We are growing, both in terms of membership and our impact and influence, so I am very much looking forward to what 2026 may bring!
Eddie Tuttle is director of policy, research, and public affairs at CIOB.
