Joanna Gilroy, Balfour Beatty on decarbonising construction at scale | Sustainability Week London

At the 10th annual Sustainability Week, London 2025, Joanna Gilroy, group sustainability director at Balfour Beatty, shares how the UK’s largest construction company is embedding sustainability into the core of its operations and influencing industry-wide change. From shifting sustainability from the periphery to the heart of business decision-making, to investing in in-house carbon, energy and biodiversity expertise, Joanna outlines the challenges and opportunities in decarbonising the built environment while delivering major infrastructure projects. Our conversation included: Mainstreaming sustainability in construction over the past decade Building in-house expertise to guide clients through the transition The challenge of energy diversification across complex construction sites Skills gaps, an ageing workforce and inspiring the next generation Translating sustainability into commercial KPIs and business strategy The burden of ESG frameworks vs the need for action Creating resilient infrastructure that supports both climate and nature Learn more on The Sustainability Project: https://impact.economist.com/sustaina...