At a Leaders Network event with 50+ c-suite business leaders, the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) introduced their report on Embodied Ecological Impacts. The event highlighted the impact of sand extraction on biodiversity through the example of Lough Neagh.

Why are sand protests happening in Saint-Colomban/Nantes, France? Cover image © La Tête Dans Le Sable

Sand underpins lives and livelhoods across the world. ‘Beneath the sands’ demonstrates why there is an urgent need to manage this resource better.
Cover: A sand harvesting site in Rakwaro village, Kenya. Photograph: Sharon Atieno

'But, is it scalable?' is one of the most frequently asked questions whenever the topic of solutions to the sand crisis comes up. One of the key barriers in many regions is a lack of regulation on embodied carbon in construction. Let’s explore this topic further in the context of the UK and the Government’s recent response to the report by the Environmental Audit Committee.