The construction industry is shackled by outdated standards that are fundamentally unfit for today’s challenges.
Most of the regulations that govern how we build were written more than three decades ago—designed around fossil-fuel-based materials, linear waste-heavy processes, and an era with no regard for carbon emissions or environmental impact. These legacy standards weren’t just built for the old world—they are the old world. And yet, they remain the gatekeepers of an industry now expected to deliver sustainable, low-carbon buildings in a climate emergency. Trying to meet 21st-century demands with 20th-century rules is not just impractical—it’s impossible.
Most of the standards underpinning today’s construction practices were written over 30 years ago. They were designed for an era when energy efficiency was a niche concern, climate change was a distant theory, and petrochemical-based materials were seen as innovative rather than problematic. These standards were rooted in the materials and manufacturing methods of the 20th century—steel, concrete, polyurethane foams, plastic adhesives—many of which are carbon-intensive, toxic, or non-recyclable.
Future of Construction: Built on the Past: Why Construction Standards Are Blocking the Future
Now, these outdated rules have become deeply embedded in our institutions. They govern everything: from building control to insurance, funding eligibility, and certification. The result? A system that leaves virtually no room for genuinely sustainable innovation.
Emerging alternatives—such as carbon-negative materials made from bio-based or recycled sources—struggle to get a foot in the door. Not because they don’t perform, but because they fall “out of scope.” And once a product or method falls out of scope, it becomes almost impossible to insure, finance, or even get approval to build. In short, if it doesn’t fit into the existing standards, it doesn’t get built.
This creates a catch-22: the only way to use sustainable materials at scale is to write entirely new standards. But that process is slow, bureaucratic, and expensive—often taking decades. In the meantime, innovators are stuck, progress is stalled, and the industry continues to lean on outdated materials and practices that are no longer fit for purpose.
Compounding the problem is a sector resistant to change. Construction is fragmented, risk-averse, and under enormous pressure. With inflation, supply chain volatility, and skyrocketing interest rates, the economics of building are already broken. In many parts of the UK and Europe, it simply costs too much to build new homes compared to what they’ll sell or rent for. The system is collapsing under its own weight.
The time to rewrite the rules is now!
And yet, instead of changing how we build, we’re being forced to build the same—but worse just to remain compliant. Developers cut corners to stay afloat, using thinner insulation, lower-quality finishes, and value-engineered systems that barely meet minimum standards—all under a regulatory regime that actively blocks low-carbon alternatives.
This is unsustainable—economically, environmentally, and socially.
We need a radical rethink. A new foundation for how materials are assessed, approved, and certified. One that puts circularity, carbon impact, and regenerative design at the core. One that rewards innovation and embraces the potential of natural, recycled, and non-toxic materials. And crucially, one that recognises that the world has changed—and our standards must too.
If we are serious about decarbonising construction, lowering costs, and delivering housing fit for the 21st century, we can no longer retrofit the future onto a framework designed for the past.
The time to rewrite the rules is now. Future of Construction. www.bio-sip.co.uk
