Coalition Launched to Promote Sustainable Construction Within Europe                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

21st May saw a coalition launched to promote sustainable construction in Europe.

Named the “Buy Better to Build Better” (BBBB) coalition, the initiative was officially launched at an event in the European Parliament and sees 35 stakeholders from across the construction ‘value chain’, civil society and public authorities to boost sustainable construction within Europe.

The BBBB manifesto

The BBBB launched a manifesto for accelerating change in the European construction market, aimed at driving and rewarding innovation, low carbon solutions and competitiveness, including:  

• Simpler procurement with harmonised, sector-specific GPP criteria to create demand for low-carbon and circular construction solutions

• A stronger internal market through coherent and horizontal procurement rules beyond lowest price

• Simpler and standardised EU-wide tracking of GPP

• Continued support for public authorities in implementing GPP effectively

Where their slogan is:

“Elevating public procurement to drive demand for innovative solutions in the construction sector”.

Steel and construction industries at a crossroads

The coalition comes at a time when the steel and construction industries are at a crossroads and, admittedly, both industries seem to be struggling - particularly here in the UK where multiple contributing factors mean UK steelmakers are currently unable to compete with European and other countries’ prices, and the UK construction industry specifically has experienced a sharp downturn in recent months.

But, what, if anything, could this new coalition mean for the UK steel and construction industries that are already struggling?

The potential impact of BBBB in the UK

Increased Competition: If the BBBB coalition streamlines procurement processes and promotes cross-border collaboration in construction within the EU, UK firms might face tougher competition from European companies that benefit from more integrated, efficient procurement.

Barriers to Participation: Since the UK is no longer in the EU, UK-based companies may find it harder to access certain procurement contracts that become reserved or more easily accessible to coalition members.

Potential for Divergence: The coalition may develop standards, certifications, or digital procurement tools that UK firms need to adapt to if they want to remain competitive in EU markets.

Harmonised Procurement Standards: What’s more, the coalition might push for harmonised procurement standards, sustainability criteria, and digital innovations in construction projects. The UK could either choose to align with these standards to maintain competitiveness or diverge, which might complicate cross-border projects and increase costs for UK firms operating in the EU.

New opportunities for the UK: UK suppliers and subcontractors might find new opportunities if the coalition encourages sourcing beyond borders, or conversely, they could be sidelined if preference policies favor EU member states.

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In short, the new BBBB coalition in Europe could pose both challenges and opportunities for the UK construction industry, particularly as we’re no longer officially part of the EU and haven’t been for some years.

That being said, however, the UK government is actively working to foster deeper collaboration and collaborative opportunities with the EU, as we’ve most recently seen in the ‘link up’ between UK-ETS and EU-ETS and this could be an interesting opportunity for the UK to get involved in, or at least follow the example of, this new coalition in Europe.