The UK construction and real estate industry is one of the nation's largest economic pillars, contributing over €162 billion (£141 billion) in value added in 2023 and employing around 1.4 million employees. 

The environmental footprint of the country’s built environment is huge, as is the case in other countries. A few facts:

• The sector is directly responsible for 25% of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions. By 2035, embodied carbon is expected to account for over 50% of the built environment's total emissions.

• Around 48% of emissions from the built environment are generated by energy use in the existing housing stock. Of these, 62% are produced by heating, predominantly using fossil-fuel boilers.

• Construction and demolition generate over 60% of all UK waste annually. 

• A prominent social issue related to housing is fuel poverty, which is driven by the country’s ageing and inefficient housing stock. UK houses are among the oldest in Europe, and heating is costly.  

In 2023, the UK saw investments of ~£ 170.9 billion (€ 195.7 billion) in constructing and renovating buildings, making it the second-largest market in Europe. The residential market accounted for 55%, while the non-residential market made up 45%.