___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Sustainability
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 www. provenant. com
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.
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