Building a Greener Future
This year’s World Green Building Week (8th–12th September 2025) calls on the global construction industry to “Be Bold on Buildings.” It’s a timely reminder that the built environment plays a decisive role in tackling climate change.
Buildings are responsible for nearly 40% of global energy-related carbon emissions. With 80% of the buildings that will exist in 2050 already standing, the industry cannot rely on demolition and new builds alone. The only way to make a meaningful impact is through sustainable retrofitting and upgrading existing structures to reduce emissions, boost energy efficiency and create healthier, more resilient spaces.
But sustainability on its own isn’t enough. To meet ambitious net-zero goals, we need to leverage smart technology. Digital innovation; spanning IoT sensors, AI-driven analytics, robotics and digital twins is fast becoming the backbone of green construction. For contractors, developers and asset managers, integrating these tools is no longer optional: it’s essential for future competitiveness.
The State of Green Building: UK and Global Perspective
Global urgency
The built environment’s contribution to climate change is staggering. According to the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC):
Buildings account for 37% of global energy-related CO₂ emissions.
Without immediate action, emissions from the sector could double by 2050, putting climate goals at risk.
Green retrofitting could cut energy consumption by 38% annually, while improving indoor air quality and reducing occupant sick days by 20%.
Green construction isn’t just an environmental necessity; it’s an economic opportunity. Globally, the green building materials market alone is projected to reach USD 693 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 8.5%.
UK momentum
In the UK, the drive toward greener buildings is accelerating:
The UK green building market is set to grow at a CAGR of 11.1%, reaching USD 17.1 billion by 2033.
Government-backed schemes such as the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) and Warm Homes: Local Grant are incentivising sustainable retrofitting.
The Net Zero Carbon Building Standard is establishing stricter energy performance rules, pushing developers and contractors to adopt smarter, compliant practices.
This combination of regulation and innovation is creating a pivotal moment for UK developers. Those who embrace technology-driven sustainability today will be the market leaders of tomorrow.
Smart Tech: The Engine Driving Sustainable Projects
Smart technology is at the heart of making sustainable construction scalable, efficient, and measurable. Here’s how it transforms every stage of the building lifecycle:
1. Digital Twins: Designing and Managing for Net Zero
Digital twins are advanced virtual models of buildings, allowing project teams to simulate real-world performance before and after construction.
- Scenario testing: Teams can model energy flows, materials, and occupant behaviour before work begins, reducing waste and avoiding costly trial-and-error.
- Continuous optimisation: After completion, digital twins provide real-time insights into energy usage, helping teams identify inefficiencies and continuously improve building performance.
2. IoT and AI: Real-Time Monitoring and Action
IoT sensors and AI analytics bring powerful real-time capabilities to sustainable construction:
- Smart energy management: Sensors track data on occupancy, temperature, and energy consumption, automatically optimising systems for maximum efficiency.
- Predictive maintenance: AI identifies potential equipment failures before they occur, reducing downtime and costly repairs.
- Waste reduction: AI-driven material tracking and quality checks reduce rework and construction waste by up to 20%, lowering both costs and environmental impact.
3. Robotics and Sustainable Materials
Robotics are tackling labour shortages while supporting sustainable practices:
- Prefabrication robotics speed up construction timelines by up to 25%, delivering projects faster and with greater precision.
- Advanced materials like engineered timber offer lower embodied carbon, while robotics ensure safer, cleaner, and more consistent production.
- These innovations reduce emissions and make construction more appealing to younger, tech-savvy workers.
4. Modular Retrofits: Speed and Sustainability
Modular construction is revolutionising retrofitting by combining speed with sustainability:
- Prefabricated elements such as insulation panels and modular HVAC units enable quick, high-quality upgrades.
- Modular techniques reduce waste by 30-40% compared to traditional retrofit approaches.
- Faster turnarounds minimise downtime for commercial properties, protecting revenue streams during refurbishments.
Why Smart Tech Matters
For Xpedeon’s audience of contractors, developers and project managers, adapting smart technology delivers:
- Operational resilience: Lower energy costs, enhanced ESG compliance and healthier spaces.
- Competitive edge: Expertise in digital twins, AI and modular retrofits positions clients as sustainability leaders.
- Compliance confidence: Seamless alignment with BREEAM, LEED and EPC certifications.
- Scalable growth: A platform built to evolve with growing complexity and hybrid contracts.
Is Your Business Ready for the Net-Zero Era?
As the construction industry evolves, businesses must ask themselves tough questions. Take a moment to reflect:
- Do you know your building portfolio’s current carbon footprint and can you track improvements in real time?
- Are your procurement processes fully aligned with sustainability goals or are they still reactive and fragmented?
- Can you manage complex contracts like NEC, JCT or hybrid agreements without delays or compliance risks?
- Do you have visibility across the full project lifecycle from design to post-handover performance?
- Are your teams and supply chains connected through one unified system or do they juggle multiple disconnected tools?
If you answered “no” to any of these questions, your business could face higher costs, compliance challenges, and missed opportunities in the race to net zero.
Xpedeon provides the foundation to confidently say “yes” to each of these questions empowering you to lead with data-driven decisions, streamlined workflows and scalable digital infrastructure.
Xpedeon’s Role in Driving the Transition
When it comes to sustainable construction, results speak louder than words. Greencore Homes, a pioneering UK developer, has set out to deliver 10,000 better-than-net-zero homes by 2035. Their innovative approach uses Biond panels and timber-frame superstructures that lock in more carbon than they emit, creating homes that actively combat climate change.
However, scaling this vision wasn’t without challenges. Greencore faced operational bottlenecks including manual procurement processes, data silos, and complex compliance needs under their Quality Management System (QMS). These inefficiencies risked slowing their growth and undermining their net-zero goals.
Xpedeon ERP became the catalyst for Greencore’s transformation. With three decades of contractor expertise built into its core, Xpedeon provided a unified, scalable platform to streamline operations, automate workflows, and support sustainable growth.
Impact and Results
- 100% centralised procurement, aligning site requests with corporate and sustainability policies.
- 25% reduction in administrative overheads, freeing teams to focus on value-driving activities.
- Auto-invoicing and smart approval workflows, ensuring faster, error-free financial processes.
- Real-time reporting dashboards, empowering surveyors and procurement teams with actionable insights.
- A scalable digital foundation, ready to support Greencore’s national expansion.
“The CVR came across as very straightforward and quick to run. The document control and tendering processes, and the ability to turn this straight into an order, have made operations more efficient and compliant with our QMS standards.”
— Emily, Greencore Homes
Why Xpedeon Works
Unlike generic systems that struggle with the complexity of modern construction, Xpedeon captures critical nuances that others miss. These include:
- Procurement alignment: Full lifecycle visibility from RFQ to receipt, not just ad-hoc orders.
- Offsite manufacturing alignment: Seamless connection between design, factory production and on-site installation.
- Advanced contract management: Native support for NEC, JCT, FIDIC and hybrid contracts.
- Change management with audit trails: Tracking every variation in real time.
- Cost control: Monitoring all costs beyond labour, including plant, preliminaries and non-payroll expenses.
- Mobile and supply chain synchronisation: Connecting project teams, site workers and suppliers in one cohesive platform.
For Greencore, these capabilities have been essential to achieving measurable results today while laying the groundwork for their 10,000-home net-zero target.
This collaboration demonstrates how Xpedeon enables contractors and developers to be bold on buildings, driving environmental impact, operational excellence and sustainable growth all at scale.
Future Trends: Beyond Sustainability
The next evolution in construction goes beyond “sustainable” to regenerative design, where buildings actively restore ecosystems and deliver net-positive outcomes:
- Circular construction: Designing for material reuse and recycling.
- Biophilic design: Creating spaces that enhance human wellbeing and biodiversity.
- Climate resilience: Using predictive modelling to prepare buildings for extreme weather events.
Smart technology will be the enabler that makes these advanced practices feasible and measurable.
Conclusion: Be Bold on Buildings
World Green Building Week 2025 is a rallying cry for the construction industry to take decisive action.
By combining smart technology with sustainable practices, the industry can reduce emissions, improve performance and unlock long-term value.
The relationship between Greencore Homes and Xpedeon proves that net-zero construction is not just an aspiration; it’s a reality that can be achieved today.
The message is clear: with the right technology and mindset, we can build smarter, greener and better for generations to come.
Ready to scale your sustainable construction projects and drive measurable results like Greencore Homes?