The construction industry is entering a chapter of verified sustainability: prep needed in 2026
Over the last few years, sustainability across sectors has become a growing business priority – including the construction vertical. However, as 2026 commences, companies need to take action now and actively start improving their sustainability footprint. In fact, as governments globally start taking notice, investor pressure increases, and sceptical consumers rise, businesses must make their sustainability shift now.
The move is already clearly underway on an institutional level. The EU is accelerating sustainability regulations, investors are scrutinising environmental claims more closely, and clients are demanding proof. A recent Morgan Stanley report found that 88 per cent of investors are interested in sustainable investments, while PwC research shows consumers are willing to pay nearly a ten per cent premium for products they perceive as sustainable. In construction – one of the most resource-intensive sectors, responsible for significant carbon emissions and material use – those expectations carry particular weight.
One of the most consequential developments is the rollout of Digital Product Passports (DPPs) under the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and Construction Products Regulation (CPR).
As part of the ESPR, the first delegated act is expected within the next year and will begin with the iron and steel industry – cornerstones of the built environment vertical – before expanding to other construction products. DPPs will require manufacturers and suppliers to provide product-level data on material composition, carbon footprint, repairability, and end-of-life handling.
In the same vein, to further ensure sustainability measures are met within the built environment, the proposed amendments to the CPR ensure that performance declarations, CE markings, and other construction-specific data are contained within construction product DPPs alongside the EPSR’s information requirements.
Together, these shifts signal the arrival of verified sustainability in construction: a landscape where claims about low-carbon materials, circularity, and compliance must be backed by auditable data. For contractors, developers, and product manufacturers preparing for 2026, two priorities are becoming clear – proof must become central to eco-claims, and a construction business’ audience is just as integral
Proof must become central to all environmental claims
As scrutiny around greenwashing intensifies, construction firms should assume that every environmental claim will be challenged. That pressure exposes a long-standing weakness in the sector: fragmented data spread across material suppliers, fabricators, contractors, and logistics partners. Embodied carbon figures, recycled content claims, and durability data are often inconsistent or poorly documented.
DPPs are intended to address this gap. They create a structured, digital record of a product’s attributes across its lifecycle – from raw material extraction and manufacturing through installation, maintenance, reuse, and end-of-life. For construction products, this will underpin claims around low-carbon steel, circular materials, and compliant building components. For the construction industry, DPPs that provide such material data can help businesses paint a more sustainable picture of a building as a whole or provide them with the information to purchase more eco-friendly products.
For construction product manufacturers, such as steel manufacturers, and asset owners, 2026 should focus on strengthening data integrity: mapping where sustainability data sits across the supply chain, improving its accuracy, and identifying blind spots. As regulation tightens, trusted, auditable data will become a competitive advantage in procurement, planning approvals, and client tenders.
Considering the three audiences demanding verified sustainability
In construction, sustainability data is no longer just for regulators. First, supply-chain partners increasingly rely on it. Developers, main contractors, and specifiers face their own disclosure obligations and net-zero commitments, meaning they need reliable emissions, materials, and performance data from manufacturers and subcontractors.
Second, clients and building owners are becoming more demanding. Whether driven by ESG targets, financing requirements, or asset valuation, they want clear answers: What is the embodied carbon of this material? How long will it last? Can it be maintained, refurbished, or reused? Companies that provide transparent, comparable data will be better placed to win work.
Finally, regulators and certifiers will expect consistency. Environmental claims made in marketing materials, planning submissions, product documentation, and compliance filings must align, be traceable, and stand up to audit. Firms with a clear view of product and asset-level data – and a reliable way to present it – will find compliance far less disruptive.
Expectations across the built environment are rising rapidly. By the end of 2026, sustainability in construction will be judged less by ambition and more by evidence. Companies that treat circularity and data transparency as operational realities, rather than aspirational goals, will be best positioned to compete in this era of verified sustainability.
Matthew Ekholm
Matthew Ekholm is Digital Product Passport and Circularity Specialist at Provenant. Provenant is a specialist provider of Digital Product Passport solutions, offering both a purpose-built platform and consulting services focused on compliance, sustainability, and circularity. Fully aligned with the EU’s Digital Product Passport mandate, the company offers a regulatory-first solution designed for streamlined implementation at scale.