Holcim UK CEO urges smarter collaboration across construction

The UK government’s recent wave of funding pledges has been welcomed by many across the construction sector. Commitments include £2 billion allocated for affordable housing development, £4.8 billion directed at road improvements, and £600 million set aside to support training for skilled construction workers. These moves have been positioned as levers to drive economic growth and accelerate progress toward sustainability objectives.

However, Holcim UK CEO Lee Sleight has reminded the sector that funding alone will not be sufficient to achieve the UK’s ambitious construction goals. Speaking ahead of the Spring Statement, Sleight emphasised the risks of addressing sector challenges in isolation. He warned that focusing resources on individual priorities such as skills or infrastructure, without embedding them into a coherent national strategy, could leave the sector operating in silos.

Sleight highlighted the need to recognise the interconnected nature of the sector’s challenges. “While it is positive to see this funding starting to come through from the government, we have to wait and see if this brings the desired stimulation of the UK economy,” he said. “By focusing on specific areas without addressing the endemic macro challenges in the sector, we risk missing an opportunity to create the policies, supply chain and workforce needed to deliver construction projects sustainably and at scale.”

Holcim UK and the call for strategic collaboration across the industry

Holcim UK, formerly Aggregate Industries, is taking a proactive stance in the shift toward sustainable construction. Under Sleight’s leadership, the company is encouraging greater collaboration between industry stakeholders and policymakers to ensure that recent funding packages result in cohesive, long-term progress.

The construction sector is facing several overlapping pressures, including decarbonisation targets, a national housing shortage, labour constraints, and outdated infrastructure. Sleight argues that these cannot be resolved independently. “We welcome the announcements supporting the key areas of building and infrastructure, including funding for housing and skills development, alongside progress on landmark sustainable construction projects like the Lower Thames Crossing,” he said. “These begin to address some of the key challenges and barriers to ensuring sustainable construction can be a reality across the UK.”

Holcim UK is working with developers, building contractors, and public authorities to encourage joined-up thinking. The company’s aim is to deliver sustainable results that go beyond short-term metrics. Sleight has positioned Holcim UK as a link between government ambitions and delivery on the ground, reinforcing the need to unify policy and investment under a national framework.

As part of its leadership role, the company has invested in workforce development and material innovation. Holcim UK is aligning its offering with low-carbon requirements and circular economy goals.

Building skills, materials, and policy pipelines to scale net zero delivery

Delivering sustainable construction at scale will require a structural rethink across three critical areas: skills, materials, and policy. The challenge lies in aligning these elements to support industry-wide transformation.

The shortage of skilled labour is one of the most immediate obstacles. The government’s £600 million training pledge targets 60,000 new workers by 2029. While this initiative is welcomed, it must be backed by a wider skills agenda that includes apprenticeships, on-site learning, and digital capabilities. Without these, the workforce will struggle to meet net zero objectives.

Its report, Making Sustainable Construction a Reality, outlines key strategies for navigating this transition. The report centres on five themes: decarbonisation, circular economy and waste reduction, smart construction, people and communities, and nature and biodiversity. These themes provide a shared language for collaboration and give structure to an otherwise fragmented policy environment.

Sleight’s approach recognises that sustainability must be embedded into every phase of a project, from procurement to completion. By integrating these concepts, Holcim UK is helping the industry move toward implementation at scale.

The UK’s sustainable future depends on getting it right the first time

The Lower Thames Crossing represents a critical case study in sustainable infrastructure. Designed to use low-carbon materials, the project marks a departure from traditional high-emission builds. However, a single success story cannot create sector-wide change.

For sustainability to become standard practice, every project must adopt better methods from the outset. This includes early investment in materials, workforce planning, and regulatory compliance. Sleight continues to stress the importance of executing effectively the first time, reducing the need for costly retrofits or policy reversals.

“We have a responsibility as a leader in the industry to do what we can to limit our impact as a business on communities and the environment, but also actively make a positive difference to them as well,” he said. “Not only this, but we also assume the responsibility of supporting our customers, colleagues, communities, the wider industry and the government with being able to do the same.”

Sources:
Agg-Net