Post by Volvo Construction Equipment

Construction sites are part of city life. But their emissions should not have to be. At this year’s London Climate Action Week, together with the Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK and Embassy of Sweden in the United Kingdom, we brought together policymakers, industry leaders, clean air advocates, and city partners to accelerate emission-free construction. Despite existing solutions, construction remains a major, often overlooked source of urban air pollution. But cities can lead the way with the right mix of policy, procurement, and collaboration. The message from the room was clear: emission-free and quiet urban worksites are within reach. It is time to remove barriers, replicate what works, and scale solutions faster in London and beyond. As Karin Svensson, Chief Sustainability Officer at Volvo Group, said: “Zero-emission construction is a clear opportunity to cut emissions and improve urban air quality without sacrificing performance. Now we need the market conditions and collaboration to scale it.” Thank you to our roundtable participants, to Daniel Marsh from Imperial College London for expertly moderating the discussion, and to our co-hosting partners. Together, we keep construction on the clean air agenda and help turn proven solutions into everyday practice.