Sustainable procurement
Green aspirations increasing but very high number of projects still do not set sustainability targets at tender stage
Our key findings
increase in tenders defining sustainability targets since our 2024 survey.
increase in the number of projects failing to achieve sustainability targets – nearly 1 in 3 of those that do define the targets. This proportion remains broadly the same as last year.
of projects do not define sustainability targets at tender stage.
of contracts involve contractors in the measurement of sustainability targets at the end of the defects period.
"Unrealistic targets [are] challenging client aspirations and supply chain engagement.”
Large national contractor
What it means for projects
There has been a transition in the past 12 months, with fewer whole-life carbon assessments being requested of contractors. There has been an increase in requests for accreditations and, just as importantly, an increase in the use of embodied carbon briefs.
Contractors are getting more used to seeing sustainability measures incorporated into tenders.
What it means for projects
Around a third of projects that define sustainability objectives fail to achieve them. But this proportion has remained consistent, and the increased setting of sustainability targets results in an increase in projects achieving them overall.
Failure to define objectives well and involve the contractor (and supply chain) in measurement of those objectives are likely failure points.
We have to make sure we are not passing risk along, because the vast majority of the construction supply chain is made up of SMEs that cannot accept it. As an industry, therefore, we need to think about the wider benefit and consider how we can transform ourselves for the future.
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