Decarbonising construction without leaving people behind

Decarbonising the built environment demands faster action while also demanding fairer outcomes. In this conversation, sustainability leader María Fernández reflects on what it takes to cut embodied carbon at scale while embedding social equity, opening up new pathways into construction and sustaining the people driving change. From low-carbon materials to neurodiverse pathways and cross-generational collaboration, this is a practical look at how the industry can deliver net zero without leaving people behind.

• Targets matter but progress depends on early decisions, collaboration and doing things differently now.
• A just transition means addressing health, inclusion, skills and opportunity alongside emissions reduction.
• Construction needs broader entry points, from data apprentices to neurodiverse talent, if it’s going to close widening skills gaps.
• Sustained change requires emotional intelligence, cross-generational energy and systems that support people doing difficult work.

The future of the sector will be defined by how well environmental ambition and social responsibility move together.