The 2025 Sustainability Report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) reviews how the built environment is addressing climate targets, based on surveys of more than 3,500 professionals across 36 countries.

Buildings and construction account for almost 40% of global carbon emissions and consume 40% of global raw materials, placing the sector at the centre of energy and climate policy. Energy efficiency and low operational carbon are identified as critical issues by a majority of stakeholders, with Europe showing the highest overall agreement at 67%.

For occupiers, 88% prioritise high energy efficiency in buildings, reflecting the role of operational energy use in daily costs and performance management. In contrast, investors place greater emphasis on certification and climate resilience, while still recognising the importance of energy performance.

Within the construction sector, 46% of professionals identify reducing waste and using low-carbon materials as a top sustainability concern, and 42% cite reducing embodied and operational carbon emissions as a priority. These figures underline the link between construction choices and the future energy performance of building stock.

Despite this focus, practice lags behind policy. Around 46% of construction professionals report that they do not measure embodied carbon on projects, and only 16% state that carbon measurement significantly affects their choice of materials and components. This gap limits the sector’s ability to deliver buildings with lower energy demand across their life cycle.

The report also notes that policy is steering the sector towards carbon reduction, although fewer than one in five respondents consider government measures to have a high impact. It recommends mandatory whole-life carbon assessment and stronger building regulations to limit energy use in both new and existing buildings.