Over the next 30 years, the Construction industry is facing challenging targets to meet net-zero goals and reduce carbon emissions.

That’s why we’re putting sustainability at the heart of our training. Regardless of specialism, we want to ensure all students have the skills needed for when they start in their career - from quantity surveying to bricklaying.

The UK housing stock is one of the oldest in Europe, with 20% of homes built before 1919. So, alongside building more environmental and energy-efficient homes, the construction sector has a huge task ahead to retrofit and improve existing housing by:

  • Phasing out the use of gas boilers by 2050.
  • Improving air quality and thermal comfort.
  • Reducing energy consumption and inefficiencies.
  • Using building materials that ‘embody’ less carbon.

The good news is there are more rewarding construction careers than ever before that require “green skills.” Over the next 10 years, up to 500,000 workers will be needed to fill all retrofit vacancies. This is crucial to combat climate change and meet environmental goals.

What we’re doing

Unlike other education providers, we employ a specialist Zero Carbon Construction Skills Coordinator - Craig Goodall. This role, funded by the Joseph Aspdin Skills Trust (JAST), embeds sustainability in the curriculum and informs students about zero carbon, sustainability, climate change and retrofit construction.

According to the World Green Building Council, the built environment sector is globally responsible for 36% of energy consumption, 38% of energy related carbon emissions, 50% of resource consumption, and is expected to double in total footprint by 2060.

Alongside talks and seminars about high-performance materials and low-energy building design, we work with sustainable enterprises and regional employers linked to local and national green initiatives.

We’re committed to sustainability and the green agenda at Leeds College of Building. By inspiring the next generation of construction industry professionals, we can all help make a difference to society and positively impact climate change.