The Centre for Construction Best Practice (CCBP) is calling on the construction sector to submit evidence on how whole-life carbon assessment (WLCA) is being used in public sector construction and infrastructure projects.
The call comes as initial research involving 35 interviews and five focus groups with local authorities, contractors and consultants found that 70% of respondents agreed that current policy and regulation had weak or no influence on the implementation of WLCA.
CCBP says WLCA is increasing in importance with the UK’s commitment to reaching net zero by 2050 and with major changes like carbon tariffs, Policy Procurement Notice 006 – which requires carbon reduction plans – and stricter energy efficiency standards.
But its use is not consistent across the country, says CCBP, with some local authorities introducing their own guidance.
It’s asking construction professionals to complete a survey so it can gather more evidence.
In its initial research, 59% of respondents described the use of WLCA as selective, while 58% described current policy as fragmented and inconsistent between authorities.
The research project began in December 2025, bringing together local authorities, city councils, industry practitioners, academics and consultants.
‘Make WLCA work better’
“There is a clear common thread in the feedback we are receiving,” said Conor Neild Crabb, head of centre at CCBP.
“The way whole-life carbon assessment is being approached varies significantly, and those inconsistencies have knock-on effects for the supply chain, capital and operational expenditure, and ultimately the environment we live and work in.
“We now want to hear from more people across the sector, including contractors, consultants, engineers, planners, project managers, clients and the wider supply chain. The more varied the evidence we can gather, the better we can understand whether greater consistency in policy and practice could help WLCA have a greater influence on spending decisions.”
In March 2026, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority published new Whole Life Carbon Management guidance for infrastructure and the built environment, while UKGBC has called for greater national consistency in whole-life carbon methodologies and clearer policy direction.
Inconsistency limits WLCA effectiveness
Michèle Young, principal development coordinator at London Borough of Tower Hamlets, said: “While requiring a WLCA enables local authorities and industry to engage more meaningfully in design discussions around carbon, its potential to support net zero ambitions is limited without a consistent national framework.
“The absence of a national requirement, such as Part Z, risks creating a fragmented approach across cities and regions, reducing the ability to compare outcomes and limiting the value of carbon data in informing investment and procurement decisions.”
Tom Roxburgh, senior sustainability consultant at Pick Everard, said: “Across our industry, differing WLCA standards produce differing results. Yet we agree that, to reduce construction’s 40% contribution to the UK’s carbon footprint, we must first understand what makes up that 40%.
‘Bloated assessment process’
“WLCA helps us understand construction emissions, but varying planning requirements, methodologies and added reporting demands have created an already bloated assessment process.
“This makes it difficult for design teams and clients to identify the approach that will best support corporate, planning and end-user sustainability targets. One standard may cost more than another, without necessarily providing the insights client teams need to make reduction decisions.
“We have delivered carbon assessments across many processes and reporting requirements, and each differs enough to demand a new approach.
“When compliance is the key concern, asking project teams for additional expenditure without industry-agreed outputs is difficult. Our industry must unify its approach so we can identify how to lower our 40% carbon contribution. As with every good initiative, it starts with clear, consistent, comparable data.”
CCBP will continue gathering evidence before its full findings are published in 2027.
- Take the survey here
