Among the findings of the research were that the drivers for decarbonisation differ considerably between elements of the construction industry. For example, only 19% of builders’ merchants mentioned personal motivations (such as concerns over climate change) as a driver of their actions, as opposed to nearly 50% of the representatives of construction firms – including builders, architects and developers doing the same.

The interviews also identified differences in decision-making processes between architects and builders around the use of low-carbon products.

This highlighted the influence of other players, such as the building control teams within local authorities, in determining the products chosen by builders, and the different levels of importance given to product longevity by those designing the project and those implementing the designs.

The research also identified key areas of consensus around the need for better availability of low-carbon products, government action to reduce costs (e.g. via removal of VAT on such products), and more public awareness and education.

Based on the research, the initial recommendations from the project team include: