As we move beyond the half-way point of 2025, the industry is experiencing an uptick in confidence, driven by modest growth in Q2. Off the back of more stable interest rates, the construction sector is starting to see greater stability. This has contributed towards greater optimism for the longer term which is expected to remain into the second half of the year, with sector growth on the horizon: 2025 is not as buoyant as hoped, but green shoots remain.

However, there are significant challenges. With the industry balancing recovery with transformation, and addressing known issues around Gateway 2, it’s slow going.

Data from the British Standards Institution (BSI) suggests that around half of business leaders believe reaching net zero by 2050 is unrealistic, and just 55% say it is still likely they’ll achieve the goal. Businesses want to make a difference and continue their commitments to sustainability, but cost pressures, long-term certainty and regulation are serious challenges.

BSI’s survey indicates a growing appetite for transitioning to net-zero, with 83% interested in practical tools and implementation guides.

For manufacturers, this highlights a key area where expertise, capabilities and product offerings can make a tangible difference for customers. At British Gypsum, we’re actively working to ensure sustainability – and the drive towards net zero – is achievable for the industry. We do this through innovation, and advancing our products and solutions to ensure sustainability is easy to adopt through effective specification.

By taking decisive steps throughout the production stages of our key product solutions, we’re reducing embodied carbon in Gypframe^® Carbon Low metal profiles by using an electric arc furnace during production, and we’re prioritising the use of recycled materials in Gyproc SoundBloc Infinaé 100 and reducing reliance on virgin raw materials. All UK-manufactured Isover products now have Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), giving users the data they need for decision making around sustainability in the products they’re using.

These steps have allowed us to reduce the environmental impact of production, supporting greater sustainability and efficiency across the supply chain. They’ve also enabled us to simplify specification with familiar products that look, feel and function in the same ways, but which are fundamentally better for our planet.