Opinion

Amelia Woodley is ESG director at Speedy Hire Net-zero targets are fast becoming a top prerequisite in construction-project tenders as the sector works on cutting emissions to hit the UK Government target for net zero by 2050. However, there also needs to be a parallel focus on the important role…

Andrew Carpenter is chief executive of the Structural Timber Association  The Structural Timber Association (STA) has welcomed the launch of the Timber in Construction (TiC) Policy Roadmap. The policy document lays out a framework for increasing the use of timber in construction and identifies important steps that need to be…

Natasha Kearslake is the founder of HR and training firm Organic P&O Solutions, which works with businesses in the construction and engineering and sectors When it comes to attracting Gen Z and neurodivergent employees, the construction sector is years behind engineering and tech companies. But leaders can make quick progress…

The Roman god Janus gave his name to the month of January. The deity was usually depicted with two faces, one looking backwards and one forwards – symbolising the transition from the past to the future. Retrospection was an unfortunate but unavoidable theme in 2023. Many firms that went bust…

Jordan Connachie is managing director of Kori Construction The construction industry has been rocked by the number of reputable contractors forced to call in the administrators over recent years. Business failures in the sector reached 312 in the 10 months to October 2023, a 58 per cent increase compared with…

Charlotte Dowson is an associate at law firm Bolt Burdon Kemp Construction work is physically demanding and inevitably accidents and injuries on construction sites do happen. Thankfully, more often than not the injuries that occur are minor and do not have lasting consequences. However, sometimes the injuries are serious and…

Colin Hamilton is head of MMC and sector director for health at ISG I’m no fan of a proliferation of acronyms, but there’s a serious point to this headline, which is around basic clarity and understanding – and more significantly about the future direction and reputation of the construction industry.…

Kenneth Wood is managing director of construction and real estate consultancy Drees & Sommer UK Anyone still mindful that expert pollsters made the wrong calls on both the outcome of the Brexit referendum and winner of the Donald Trump vs Hillary Clinton presidential election might be tempted to look to…

Paul Gandy is chief executive at Tilbury Douglas, vice president of the Chartered Institute of Building and serves on the board of Build UK as a contractor director As we enter a new year, it is a great time to take stock and think about the key priorities the construction industry…

Mark Lawrence is a partner at law firm Macfarlanes The Building Safety Act 2022 was the government’s long-awaited legislative response to the Grenfell Tower fire. It forms part of a wider package of regulatory and practical reform aimed at making high-risk residential buildings safer and ensuring that the responsibilities of…